Mother's Legacy
by Drake Clawfang
Summary: Ifalna fails to escape Shinra, and Aerith is recaptured to be placed in SOLDIER. Raised as a jaded and battle-hardened warrior, her destiny and that of the Planet are forever changed. Now, Aerith, Zack and Cloud must battle the forces of AVALANCHE and Genesis, and unravel the secrets of LOVELESS and the Jenova Project. Alt tagline - imagine Aerith was raised to be Lightning. CC/BC
1. Chapter 1

**I began this story some time ago as a side project to Shard of Memories, but it dried up due to multiple reasons. But I still like the concept and my creative juices are freed up, so I'm giving it another shot. Please give me feedback because I want to know you guys are interested in me continuing it, and this time I could use the motivation to keep going. Enjoy!**

Mother's Legacy

Chapter 1

* * *

"We've looked down every street twice, there's no sign of them. Orders sir?" Rod frowned and brushed aside spiked brown hair to tap his earpiece, a burst of static from the radio buzzing his ear. He told Veld they needed new equipment, but Shinra wouldn't pay, all the spare funding was devoted to the science or urban divisions. After a moment the line cleared up enough for Rod to make out his commander's voice.

_"Move on to Sector 1, we'll send Orlana and her team in after you for a second sweep just to be sure. Keep sweeping fast and wide, don't give them time to move around. We've locked down the gates, so they won't be leaving the city. They can't run forever. Find them."_

"Understood." Rod turned and gestured to the five Shinra infantrymen standing at attention behind him. He'd told Veld that the normal Shinra security were too brute for this sort of operation, they needed to be stealthy and fast. With their training and funding, the five men Veld had sent with him to secure Sector 8 were far from either. But they were all he had, and Veld had made a good point – though they individually were perfect for the job at hand, the Turks didn't have enough manpower to search on their own. Stealth and speed were not the only requirements, their reach had to be wide as well, and the Turks were too small for that.

"We're heading to Sector 6 now, Orlana will sweep in after us," he announced, waving the five forward. With a salute and a flip of their rifles into a more ready position, the Shinra guards followed the Turk down the street towards the iron gates separating the sectors. The city's plates and the trains connecting them to the slums below had only gone up the previous month, construction on the outer wall and streets were still progressing. As a result steel girders, piles of gravel, and various other stacks of building materials littered the area. There were any number of places for them to hide.

_"I'm tired of cleaning up after Hojo's messes. We're Turks, not janitors. If he can't keep his specimens under control it shouldn't just be shunted off to us." _Rod thought, running a hand through his hair. But then this wasn't a normal matter, not some escaped animal or rogue assistant selling information to an anti-Shinra group. The escapees from the tower were given top priority, the order to recapture them coming direct from President Shinra himself. Officially, none of them were told why they were searching for these two specifically, just given a visual description and assigned a sector to search. But Rod had heard the rumors drifting around on his way out of the Shinra building. If they were right, then maybe the five troops behind him weren't enough.

As the six moved down the street, a darkened shadow moved in an alleyway. A dark red hood lifted, and bright green eyes gazed out over the street. Leaning out to watch them leave, the woman pulled back into the alley and let out a sigh of relief.

"Are they gone mama?" The woman looked down at the girl holding onto her skirt and forced a smile for her sake.

"For now, sweetheart," she said, kneeling and putting her arms around the girl. "Come on, we need to keep moving." She hefted her up against her chest and stood. "And remember what I said."

"Be quiet and run if you tell me to," the girl recited, wrapping her small arms around her mother's neck and leaning her head against her shoulder. The woman took a breath and patted her daughter on the back of the head.

"That's right sweetheart," she sighed. With her free hand she pulled the dark red cloak over her shoulders tighter and headed deeper into the alley, looking for an alternate way to the next sector. The Sector 8 trains had shut down when they had escaped, and if they tried to flee down the highways they'd be stuck out in the open, easy targets. With the Shinra men sent onto Sector 1, there was only one other place to go if they wanted to find a way out.

"Mama," the girl whimpered. The woman looked down at her, the child's bright green eyes reminding her of her own. "You're scared." The woman swallowed and nodded.

"I know, I know…it'll be alright Aerith, just hold on to me," she whispered, turning and briskly walking down the alley, trying to keep her footsteps silent. Aerith pulled herself up slightly and watched the pavement behind them bounce in time with her mother's footsteps.

_ "I don't care if I die getting out…they won't have her. They can't."_

* * *

"Remember, Hojo wants them taken alive, so shoot to incapacitate, not to kill," Orlana ordered, turning to the grunts behind her. Long blond hair tossed over her shoulder and a hand on her hip, she ignored a lecherous muttering from the one grunt and focused on their briefing. There'd be time to arrange disciplinary action for him later. "Rod's already been through here, we're sweeping just in case he missed them, so make it fast but thorough, likely nothing but we can't slack on the off chance they're here. Once we're done here we'll head back to Sector 7 and meet up with Harrison's group for further orders. Understood?"

"Yes ma'am!" the grunts said in unison, splitting up to head down to the streets. Orlana looked up at the brightly lit LED display over the metal gate behind her, the words "SECTOR 7 – JOULIARD BOULIVARD" scrolling along in bright red lights.

The order had come to shut down the trains in Sector 8 and close off the highways to try and keep them contained in the one location, but the Turks and the guards under their command had been at the search for an hour now and there was no sign of either of them. They had likely slipped into another sector, and if they had then there was no way to tell where they could be, they could even have gotten below the plate by now. President Shinra said they were planning to lockdown the gates between sectors, but for whatever reason he was taking his time doing it. The mayors of the old cities that had been compressed into what Shinra had named Midgar still tried to pull their weight around him, unaware they were mere figureheads now. They were probably the cause of the delay, Shinra ruled the area in practice but the red tape of politics still made trouble for them.

"Ifalna…where are you?" Orlana muttered under her breath, turning back and moving down the street. Behind her, Ifalna cautiously peeked her head out from the alley, watching the Turk move away. She waited until Orlana turned a corner, and then slowly stepped out into the street, keeping close to a pile of red bricks. Looking around, Ilfana's eyes looked at the Sector 7 gate, seemingly miles away. The trains might still be running there, and even if they weren't the tunnels probably hadn't been sealed yet. That was the way out they needed, if they could make it to the slums below the plate they would be safe for the time being. The people down there hated Shinra, there had to be someone down there willing to help them hide until they could escape the town for good. It was their only chance.

"Be very quiet," Ifalna whispered to the girl in her arms. Aerith moved her head against her mother's shoulder to show she heard, and Ifalna moved swiftly and quietly to the gate to the next sector, slipping into an alleyway to catch her breath for a second. Ilfana looked around the side, and the coast was clear, neither guard nor Turk was in sight.

_"We're going to make it…we're going to make it…" _she chanted in her head, trying to convince herself. Ilfana raised a hand to the back of Aerith's head and began to step towards the gate. Then, the loudspeakers on either side of the gate blared to life.

**"WARNING, SECTOR LOCKDOWN IN PROGRESS. CLEAR THE GATE."**

Ifalna's head snapped up to see the three massive steel gates overhead begin to descend, red sirens spinning in-between them. She gasped and ran forward, her shoes pounding on the asphalt. Behind her, Orlana turned back from the street at the sound of the loudspeaker and gasped at the sight of the fluttering red cloak heading through the gate. She gave chase, snapping a hand to her earpiece.

"Veld, they're heading into Sector 7 off sector 8!" she screamed into her headpiece, running towards the gate. "Halt the lockdown _now, _they're gonna get through!_"_

_"The order will never make it in time!" _Veld shouted back. Orlana let out a growl and picked up the pace, running towards the slowly descending gates. She skidded to a halt as the gates stopped their descent with a loud thund, a crunching of gears signalling they were locking into place. Orlana slammed a fist into the steel and made a face. _"Harrison's in that sector, he'll take care of it," _Veld said through the earpiece. Orlana let out a breath and stepped back.

"That trigger-happy bastard better remember protocol this time," she said, speaking more to herself than to Veld.

* * *

_"That was too close,"_ Ifalna thought, stepping backwards down the street away from the closed gate behind her. Had she waited a few seconds more to break for the gate, it should have shut before her eyes and left her to the mercy of the Turks searching for her. Trying to calm her heart, the Cetra turned and looked around. The Shinra ordered clearing of the streets was still in effect, so there was no one around in Sector 7 either. Ifalna stepped down an alley and moved quickly, the distant sound of footsteps growing louder. For sure they knew she was close to the gate, she had to get away as quickly as she could. Stopping when the alley met a wall, she turned left and stepped back onto the streets.

"There!" Ifalna's eyes lit up at the sight of a bridge over a set of train tracks just further down the block. Train tracks that lead below the plate and to safety. "We're almost safe sweetheart. Almost there." Ifalna ran towards the bridge, looking over the railings lining the edges for some ladder down to the tracks. Finally, she spotted one on the far side of the bridge. With a genuine smile, Ifalna ran across the bridge and set Aerith down. "We're here, just a bit further," she said. Ifalna turned to place a foot on the first rung leading down to the tracks, and stilled at the sound of a metallic click only a few feet away.

"That'll be far enough, Ifalna," a voice called out. Ifalna turned her head to see another Turk emerge from the shadows across the street, a pistol aimed at her. "Nice little chase you lead us on. Not often someone manages to evade the Turks this long," the man said, smiling. He lifted his other hand to his earpiece. "Veld, its Harrison. I got her, she's at Kactar Bridge in Sector 7." Harrison turned his attention back to Ifalna. "This is gonna mean a promotion for me, maybe. Come on, Ifalna," he gestured her forward with the gun. "Let's go."

"I'm not going anywhere," Ifalna replied, shaking her head. This was the only chance they had been given in the seven years they had been held captive, everything had clicked as if pre-ordained by fate. Security was lax due to a company holiday, the experimentation she was about to be forced into was shut down due to a blown circuit, and it was time for the evening shift change as they tried to contact maintenance but failed. She had incapacitated the lone researcher and his bodyguard, feigning illness to grab the latter's gun and knock him unconscious before shooting the researcher in the knee to prevent pursuit. Grabbing her daughter from her holding cell in the chamber, she had slipped down the tower's stairwell and into the streets. Shinra would learn from this mistake, there would be more guards, more surveillance, stricter scheduling. A chance like this would never, ever come again.

"Now now, make this easy on us both," Harrison said. "Don't make me shoot you in front of your kid, really."

"You won't kill me," Ifalna said, smiling bitterly. "I'm too valuable to Shinra. If I die because of you, they'd sooner fire than promote you."

"Yeah. But hey, I said shoot you, not kill," Harrison reminded. With a pull of the trigger, the pistol fired. Ifalna cried out and fell forward to her knees as the bullet imbedded itself in her left shoulder. Aerith fell from her grasp and onto her back, Ifalna clutching her shoulder.

"Mama!" Aerith cried, reaching up to the wound. Ifalna glared up at Harrison, blood gushing from below her hand.

"See, that's exactly what I didn't want, listen to her, she's terrified now," Harrison lectured. There was a sound behind him as five Shinra troops filed in behind him. "Told ya we Turks didn't need the help. I got her all on my own," Harrison said.

"I'm not yours yet," Ifalna replied, forcing herself to her feet, stumbling slightly. Her cloak slipped off her shoulders to the ground. "I'd sooner die than go back to that hell. Shinra will never understand the true value of the things I could teach you. All you care about is money and power, and I'm not going to help you get it. Neither is she." A distant sound reached Ifalna's ears, and her eyes darted down.

"Yeah yeah yeah, nice speech but hey, no where else to go. Really, I'm out of patience." Harrison wiggled his pistol a bit. "Let's go, last warning." Ifalna made a face and knelt down to pick up Aerith. "There we go, see? Relax, it won't be any worse than before at least."

_"It couldn't possibly be worse than before," _Ifalna thought. "Aerith?"

"Yeah?" Aerith replied, looking up at her mother. Ifalna looked down at her and forced another smile.

"Hold on to me as tight as you can. And do not let go," she said sternly. Aerith's hands wrapped around her neck and clutched the back of Ifalan's blouse. The Cetra held her head high and spun around, the tips of her shoes poking over the edge of the bridge. The sound in the distance was louder now, loud enough for her to estimate a good time for her final gambit.

"Ifalna, don't do anything stupid," Harrison warned, suddenly nervous. Ifalna waited, took a deep breath, and jumped. "NO!" Harrison ran forward as Ifalna leaped, the train below passing under the bridge as her feet kicked air. Iflana landed on her back, rolling against something sharp, and reached on a hand. She found a handhold and gripped it tightly, her other hand supporting Aerith still clutched against her chest. Harrison watched her vanish down the tunnel from atop the bridge and screamed out a curse.

"Veld, she got onto a train to the slums!" he shouted, pressing a hand to his earpiece.

* * *

"Mama?" Aerith lifted her head to look at her mother, red and yellow bands of light flashing over them in the darkness as the train rode down the rails. "Are you okay?" Ifalna grimaced at the feel of blood seeping out of her shoulder and the wounds carved into her back and right leg by whatever she had landed on when she had jumped.

"I'm fine sweetheart," she lied, breathing deeply. "I'm fine…" _"As long as I can get her to safety, that's all that matters. Just a bit longer…" _Ifalna turned her head to see the tunnel end, and the train began riding down a long spiral into the slums below the plate. Ifalna hadn't seen them with her own eyes but knew the stories. The slums were a den for thievery, anti-Shinra sentiment and shady activities. But compared to the plate, it was the safer half of the city for them now. Somewhere here, they could get help. Surely someone would be able…

"Aerith, when the train stops we're going to climb down, okay?" she asked, her voice barely audible over the train's roar. Aerith nodded, and Ifalna turned her head back to watch the slums looming slower with every second. There was a gentle thud as the train moved to level ground, and Ifalna felt it slow down. With a slow groan and a creak, the train stopped at the station. Ifalna let go of Aerith and stood up, moving towards the ladder at the end of the car. She climbed down, her leg screaming at her with every step. She stepped onto solid ground and stumbled forwards two steps, collapsing against the lamppost on the platform. Aerith scurried down the ladder after her and ran to her mother's side.

"Mama!"

"I'm…fine," Ifalna forced out. "Run, go. I'll catch up."

"I can't leave you!" Aerith protested, her eyes wide.

"Aerith, listen to me!" Ifalna shouted. "Go…don't let them catch you…" Ifalna leaned her head back and closed her eyes. "Just run…"

"Mama!" Aerith screamed, grabbing her shirt. "You have to come too, you said we'd go see daddy together, remember?" Ifalna forced an eye open and licked her lips.

"Sweetheart…"

A shadow fell over them, and both females lifted their heads. A helicopter flew overhead, a young man in a Turk uniform leaning out the side.

"No…please no…" Ifalna begged, slowly shaking her head. She began to push herself to her feet, then fell back down in a cry of pain. Blood was now visible on her left thigh, having run down from her back. The man leapt down to the platform at the helicopter flew lower, landing a distance away in a clearing among the rubble.

"This is Tseng, we've got them," the man said into his earpiece.

_"Good, keep them in sight this time, we don't want them running away again," _Veld replied. Tseng looked over at Ifalna, breathing heavily and holding her shoulder.

"I don't think that'll be a problem this time sir," he answered. Aerith looked up at him as he stepped closer and knelt down. "Ifalna…why?" Tseng whispered. "You should have known you never would have succeeded, even if they wanted you alive they would kill you before letting you go."

"I did know," Ifalna nodded, tears forming in her eyes. "But I had to try."

"Why?"

"Even if I couldn't make it…I had to hope she could." Tseng looked down at Aerith, who was looking back and forth between the two of them in confusion.

"We'll get you back to headquarters as soon as possible," he assured her, watching as two Shinra guards emerged from the helicopter with a stretcher. "If we save you…I guess there's always next time."

"Not for me there won't be," Ifalna whispered, closing her eyes. The guards set the stretcher down and lifted Ifalna onto it. Aerith's eyes went wide at the pool of blood on the ground, and she grabbed Ifalna's hand as they began to pull the stretcher up.

"What about the child?" one of the guards asked, looking down at Aerith. Aerith looked up at her mother, head rolled away from her, and turned and ran.

"Aerith!" Tseng ran after her, the young girl surprisingly quick. Behind him one of the guards pulled a pistol from his belt. A blast of yellow energy shot from it and hit a pile of rubble in front of Aerith, a field of electricity sparking into the air on impact. She stopped and hesitated, and Tseng caught up to her. The girl cried out and struggled but was unable to free herself as Tseng clutched her to his shoulder, arms holding her in place. He stood up, ignoring Aerith's small fists pounding on his chest.

"Was that necessary?" he asked as he came back. The guards had the ramp to the helicopter down and were loading Ilfana into the cargo hold.

"Just a distraction sir, I wouldn't have hit her," the guard replied.

"For your sake it's fortunate you didn't, we have orders from the Science Department to capture them alive," Tseng said coldly. He stepped into the helicopter as the ramp closed, and slid the door shut. Aerith pushed against Tseng's shoulder to free herself and he let her go, there was nowhere left to run now. Aerith slipped between the seats and ran to her mother's side.

"Mama!" she called out, grabbing her hand.

"She's lost a lot of blood, she's slipping in and out of consciousness," one guard said, tearing Ilfana's shirt at the shoulder to expose a bloody, messy bullet wound. Gauze was pressed into it, quickly staining red. Ilfana's eyelids were fluttering, her mouth slightly open. "We've got to get her to medical now or we're going to lose her."

"Whoever banged her up like this is in for an earful, the dumb bastard," the second muttered.

"Try and mind your language around the child," Tseng said over his shoulder.

"Then keep her up there with you," the guard snapped back.

"Aerith?" Ilfana whispered, her head turning to see her daughter.

"I'm here Mama," Aerith answered, her eyes tearing up.

"Mama loves you, sweetheart, remember that," Ilfana said. "I…I hope…" her lips continued moving, but Aerith was unable to hear her over the sounds around them, even when she put her head to her mother's lips. She was so intent on listening she hadn't noticed Ilfana's hand had gone limp in hers.

* * *

"What is the state of the two samples?"

"The mother has died, Professor Hojo, she lost too much blood in the escape. If the doctors had been able to attend to her on-site she could possibly have lived, but they didn't get her back here in time." Hojo's assistant adjusted her dark brown bangs as her superior received the news. Hojo was never in a particularly good mood, but it was easy to see he was angry now. Or at least, what passed for angry with him, she wasn't sure Hojo ever raised his voice above its usual drone.

"I see…a regrettable loss, very regrettable," Hojo mused, looking over the clipboard of notes in his hand. "And the child?"

"Alive and in medical being checked out, sir. She's physically fine, so far, but is quite frightened with everything that has happened," the assistant said.

"As well she should be," Hojo agreed. "Her mother nearly got them both killed today. At least we recovered the child, but…the loss of the mother will practically halt our research." Hojo found what he was looking for in the reports. Harrison had been the shooter during the search for the Cetra. Well, that was one less paycheck Veld would be signing each week.

"But the child is a Cetra too, isn't she sir?" the assistant asked. "Surely the research can continue with her."

"No, she's far too young to withstand the experiments without permanent damage, and at this age her powers won't be fully developed yet anyway. Even if they were, remember she's only half Cetra, she has only half the power of her mother," Hojo said, turning to a stack of papers on his desk and scanning the top one. "No no, we can't use her, not yet at least. It'll be years, maybe a decade before the Cetra research can continue. She's useless as a subject, at least for the immediate future."

"President Shinra said she's to be kept here under our observation sir."

"Yes, that old fool doesn't understand what he's asking," Hojo grumbled. He stood and clasped his hands behind his back, pacing behind the desk. "I've no use for her yet, any experiments we could try on her now would be too powerful for her to survive. And that's besides the fact that even if…hmmm…well…" Hojo trailed off, mumbling to himself. His assistant let him. Whatever dark train of thought was beginning to wind through Hojo's brain, she didn't care to know. There was a knock at the door, and Hojo turned an eye to it. "What?" he snapped. The door slid open to reveal an older man with greying hair. "Ah, Dr. Jackson. What news?"

"Professor Hojo," Dr. Jackson nodded. "I thought you might want to see the field reports from Wutai. This is the third major skirmish since the war began, and-"

"I don't see how I should care about some silly war, I have more urgent matters that require my attention," Hojo interrupted. Dr. Jackson smiled and held out a clipboard, adjusting his glasses with the other hand. Hojo took it and read over it. "Are these reports accurate?" he asked, looking up at him.

"Indeed they are sir. Sephiroth single-handedly defeated an entire platoon of Wutai troops in direct combat without incurring any injuries," Dr. Jackson nodded, his smile widening. "His abilities in the field are exceeding anything he has shown in training, even beyond our most promising simulations. The other SOLDIER units are also reporting impressive performances, though none as good as Sephiroth's."

"Of course they aren't. Thank you for this information, it's an unexpected pick-me-up in an otherwise frustrating day," Hojo smiled, handing back the clipboard. "Be sure to pass this information along to Hollander, be sure he understands this proves my experiment is the successful one."

"Yes sir," Dr. Jackson nodded, leaving the room. Hojo sat back down at his desk and clasped his hands in front of his face. Underneath his fingers, he slowly smiled.

"Ah, sir?" his assistant prompted. "What shall I tell President Shinra about the Cetra? If she's of no use to us then-"

"On the contrary." Hojo interrupted, chuckling slightly. "I have just thought of a use for her. Quite simple really, and rather brilliant, I should have thought of this back when we first captured her and the mother."

"Sir?" his assistant asked, confused.

"How long has the mother been dead?"

"Time of death was just under an hour and a half ago, sir."

"Acceptable. And the girl, she's six, isn't she?"

"Seven, sir."

"Hm, a bit older than I'd prefer, but…yes, that still ought to work well enough." Hojo leaned back and thought over his idea. Simple but brilliant, he silently chided himself for not thinking of it immediately. By all accounts it should have been something that ought to have come to him fairly quickly. But, better later than never.

"If we're going to have to keep that girl around for another ten years, we may as well get at least a bit of usage out of her."


	2. Chapter 2

Mother's Legacy

Chapter 2

* * *

With a loud ringing, the light at the side of the train tracks blinked to red, and the crossing gate lowered. A moment later the wood shattered as the train barrelled past along the track, picking up speed. Green-armored troops ran across its roof, moving with coordinated precision as they slipped into the doors between cars. Overhead, a black helicopter flew in closer, spotlight shining down on the rear car.

_"Wutai operatives have hijacked Shinra Express MK93-2. Train is carrying top Shinra science executives who may be held hostage. Train is being rerouted through Sector 8 where Shinra infantry troops will contain the situation. SOLDIER operatives will be dispatched to neutralize the Wutai forces and secure the Shinra employees before they come to harm. Be prepared for insurgents waiting at Sector 8 to meet up with the train infiltrators."_

Zack didn't pay attention to the radio buzz from the cockpit of the chopper, his fingers drumming impatiently on the handle of his sword. Beside him, the second occupant of the helicopter's hold was looking out the window at the speeding train ahead. The passing lights of the city as they flew cast shadows and flickers of light over the two, Zack's purple uniform and his companion's dark red being illuminated for moments at a time.

"_Current location, Sector 3, east wing. Current speed, 65 MPH…estimated time to arrival at Sector 8, four minutes."_ Lips curled up in a slight smile at the thought. _"Last time the ETA was six minutes, they've tightened it up by 33%. Good. Might actually be a challenge this time."_

"Hey!" The two looked up at one of the pilots leaning around his seat to look at them. "We're moving into position for the first drop, get ready to go on the mark! Zack, we'll move you to the second drop point immediately after. Remember, move fast and remember the objectives, you neutralize the Wutai forces and make sure the scientists are safe before you leave the train, Zack, you cut off the reinforcements and trap any fleeing troops from the train. Meet up at the fountain."

"Right," Zack grinned, flashing a thumbs-up. The helicopter descended over the rear train car, and Zack's companion stood without a word, approaching the door of the helicopter. Zack watched with a smile.

_"Commence mission in ten seconds. 10…9…8…"_

"Hey Aerith!" Zack called over the growing sound of spinning rotor blades. Rolling her eyes slightly as she gripped the side of the hatch, Aerith turned to him. "So, same deal as last time? First one to the end gets to ask the other one out?" he winked. Aerith smirked as the hatch opened behind her.

"Drop dead Zack," she muttered. Aerith coiled her legs and leapt backwards, dark red uniform fluttering as she fell towards the rear car of the train.

_"Time, 22:37, SOLDIER operative Second __Class Aerith has been dispatched. Begin mission!"_

Aerith landed in a crouch, the train roof clanging loudly on impact. She lifted her head, green eyes scanning for signs of motion on the roof ahead of her. Finding none she stood and tossed her ponytail back her over shoulder. She only took a single step forward before a hatch on the roof opened, four Wutai soldiers climbing out. They took up formation, two kneeling in front of the others, and raised the firearm ends of their polearms.

_"Four seconds from the drop to send them out…last time it took eight. Reaction time has been doubled," _she noted, taking hold of the small steel rod on her waist and bringing it up to her side. She pressed the button on the side of the rod and the retractable pieces inside sprang out with a metallic whoosh, forming a four-foot steel staff in her hand.

"A 100% increase…let's see if that's enough," she whispered, swinging her staff behind her. The woman took off at a run, and the Wutai soldiers opened fire. Aerith jumped over the gunfire, landing and going into a roll before springing up on her hands and flipping forward. She descended amidst the four troops, taking one of them out with a punch as she landed. She spun, whipping her staff out to the side and knocking a second off the train. A third cleaved his polearm at her, Aerith pulled to the side and slammed her staff down on the blade, and with flick her wrist used it as leverage to twirl over his head, avoiding his comrade's blade and kicking them into each other. The first troop she had attacked began to stand, and Aerith lashed out her arm, her staff sliding through her hand to its end and slamming into the soldier's chest. He staggered, and Aerith dropped her staff and sprung forward on its end to land a kick on his midriff.

The three troops slumped unconscious around her, Aerith stood up calmly, bringing her staff to a relaxed position. She brushed off her uniform, pulled a few stray bangs of hair back, and lifted her other arm to check her watch.

"Thirty-six seconds to neutralize the opening ambush," she mused. "Damn, they pushed me past the thirty-second mark. Guess the boosts did make a difference." She lowered her arm and reached the end of the car, jumping down to the door and sliding it open. Opening ambush was done, next objective was to secure the scientists. The inside of the car was empty, and Aerith swiftly walked up to the next car. There were only four cars to search, but the next was empty too. Approaching the door to the front car, Aerith frowned.

"No opponents aside from the welcoming committee? I'm insulted," she muttered, sliding open the door. Suddenly, the roof of the car behind her caved in, and Aerith spun. A large muscle-bound Wutai soldier dropped down from the roof, towering over her by more than a foot. With a snicker, he reached over his shoulders and drew two katanas.

"Well, that's new," Aerith said with a smirk, bringing her staff forward. "This just got interesting." Aerith ran forward, and the Wutai brute brought his arms back and swung forward. To Aerith's surprise the katanas cleaved through the steel and wood of the train walls, and she stopped to cover her head as splinters and broken glass filled the air. Raising the katanas through the hole he had entered from, the Wutai troop swung again, cutting through the train roof. Aerith jumped back and the blades embedded in the floor. Aerith charged forward, running up them to kick him in the head, then flipping up onto the roof. Turning and looking back down at him, the Wutai picked up his swords and turned around. Aerith coiled her legs to dodge a strike, but instead his swung his blades to the side.

"What's he doing?" she whispered, stepping back just in case. Then the roof shook, and Aerith fell into a kneeling position. She heard more wood, steel and glass breaking, and the roof began to angle to the side. "Clever bastard," she said, running forward. His katanas slicing through the train wall with ease, the Wutai brute cleaved both forward to cut through the rear door of the train. The roof groaned and came free of the rest of the car, Aerith and the Wutai troop ducking as it slid to the side and bounced backwards along the tracks, sparks and debris flying. The wind in the newly exposed car innards blew Aerith's ponytail in front of her as she turned to face her opponent again.

"Nice trick," she snorted, "but katanas are overrated." She ran forward, leaning backwards and sliding to avoid a two-bladed cut horizontally, and slammed her arm into the Wutai's foot. He cried out, and behind him Aerth quickly rose to her feet and jammed the end of her staff into the back of his knee. He fell to one knee, and Aerith leapt and ran up his back, flipping through the air to bring the end of her staff hard into his throat. He stumbled backwards, his swords falling from his grasp. Aerith charged and drove her staff into his stomach, driving him further back with rapid, sharp strikes until he reached the end of the car.

"Your stop," she muttered, taking a step back. The troop was clutching his stomach in pain, bruises already forming. Aerith ran and planted her staff on the ground to volley forward and slam both her feet into his head, catapulting him through the door of the next car to lay still. Landing, she brought a hand to her waist and opened up a buttoned-up pouch, a dark green Materia orb in her fingers. She slammed her fist into the coupler and the metal exploded in a blast of fire. With a screech and a groan, the cars separated, leaving the rear cars and Aerith's battered foe to fall back along the tracks. Sighing and rotating her shoulder, Aerith put away her Materia, walked back to the front door and pulled it open to enter the engine. The train was empty this time it seemed. Aerith was surprised, but the presence of that brute had been proof this mission was very different from previous runs.

_"They want to trip me up, they'll need to do better than this," _she thought sourly. _"Then again, I've never needed to use my Materia before." _The train screeched and began to slow, and Aerith looked out the window to see the Sector 8 station approaching, several figures moving on the platform. She lifted her staff up to wedge it above the rails running along the roof of the car, and kicked herself up out of sight. As the train stopped the doors to the remnants of the car opened, and two Wutai troops entered. Aerith waited until they looked away, then dropped down on the nearest one, driving her knee into the back of his head. His companion turned in time for Aerith's staff to snap into his hip and cartwheel him to the side and over the ruined wall to lay on the tracks. Emerging from the car, Aerith moved cautiously. She thought she had seen more on the platform, they must have moved on. She walked towards the stairs up to the street, and heard voices and pulled back behind a wall, slipping into the shadows.

Three Wutai troopers marched down the steps in single file and headed towards the train. Aerith stayed still in the darkness as they passed.

"_Definitely different. There were no scientists on that train. Mission isn't going at planned," _she thought, watching one of the troops in a yellow uniform scope out the platform while the other two took up guard positions behind him. Aerith felt herself begin to worry and pushed the unwelcome emotion aside. Good, this is what she wanted, to show them she could think on her feet and handle the threat of an unknown combat situation. She recited an abridged version of the SOLDIER mission protocol in her head. Do it by the book, as much as she could at least. First, disable the enemy, without lethal force if possible, and with minimal use of Materia. She crept up behind the two green-uniformed troops, trying to be silent

"He said that SOLDIER bitch would be on the train, where is she?" the yellow troop asked. Aerith slid her staff between the two of them and turned it. With a sharp pull the staff slammed into their knees, causing them to cry out. Aerith pulled up this time, her staff digging into their stomachs and flipping them backwards as she rose to her feet, spinning her staff in her grasp. The yellow troop turned and raised his polearm to fire a blast of gunfire at her. Aerith rolled under the bullets and swept her arm out to hit his legs. He backflipped out of the way, landing on his hands and springing back forward to cleave the blade of his weapon at her. Aerith dodged to the side, caught off-guard.

"Alright, you're a skilled one. Good," she said, smiling. The trooper's polearm sliced at her again, Aerith ducked and lifted her staff up to hook it in the gap between the blade and the shaft. Pull it to the side, the troop stumbled forward, Aerith spinning her staff free and jabbing it into his jaw. She saw a flash and pulled back as he was spinning his own weapon to bring the blade back towards her. He moved his foot back and brought up his hand to catch the end of the weapon, the gun barrel end pointing at Aerith's face. Her eyes widened, and she ducked as bullets tore from the end. She backflipped, kicking the weapon from his grasp, and as she flipped to her feet brought the end of her staff to the underside of his jaw. He recoiled, and she spun forward to jab it into his stomach to double him over. A solid slam of the staff into his shoulder blades and he finally collapsed to the ground.

"They're really trying to trip me up," she muttered, rotating her shoulder where she had strained her arm during an attack. "Not working." Her cellphone rang, and Aerith pulled it out, flipping it out and holding it up to her ear.

"How's it going, Zack?" she asked.

_"Great, making record time! I heard they programmed some new surprises for you on your end, give you any trouble?"_ her partner said on the other end of the line. Aerith heard the distant sound of gunfire and clanging metal and rolled her eyes. Of course he had to call in the middle of battle just to show off in his trademark not-so-subtle way.

"Not particularly," Aerith replied, casting an irritated glare on a trooper lifting his head at her feet. She slammed the end of her staff into his helmet and turned her attention back to the conversation. "New record huh? Keep trying and maybe someday you'll beat mine."

_"That day's today at this rate, I'll see you at the fountain!"_

"You're gonna eat those words," she smirked, snapping the phone shut and slipping it into her pocket. Aerith rushed up the stairs to the streets, more Wutai soldiers awaiting her. The lead one swung his polearm, and Aerith lifted her staff to catch the strike and grabbed the edge of the weapon, pulling the enemy forward into a headbutt. There were three more beyond him, watching her as their comrade crumbled to her feet.

"Come on, don't be shy," she coaxed, adjusting her grip on the polearm and twirling it and her staff. Two of the soldiers charged her, the third flipping the polearm around to aim its gun barrel. Aerith pushed the first soldier back with a kick and swung the polearm into the second's hip, pitching him to the side. The third Wutai soldier fired at her twice, and Aerith narrowly dodged to the right before the bullets tore past her, and flung the polearm forward. The third trooper fell backwards as the blade caught him in the shoulder, and Aerith turned and brought her staff down on the head of the second, knocking him cold to the ground, then spun to slam her staff into the first's chest, flipping him head over heel to land on his stomach. Aerith took a moment to compose herself, panting slightly. Realizing what she was doing she stopped herself.

"Right…the fountain," she thought aloud, heading down the street. The fountain soon came into view, signalling the end of the mission. Aerith was a mixture of confused, disappointed and relieved. "Well, not that much harder overall. Could have done it in my sleep."

"Is that so?" Aerith froze as cold metal touched the side of her neck. She turned her eyes down to see a slim sword blade emerging over her shoulder. "You haven't cleared it yet," the figure behind her taunted. Aerith licked her lips and swung her arm around, knocking the sword away and turning to confront her attacker. Her eyes went wide as she laid eyes on him.

"You," she all but snarled. With a small smile, Sephiroth drew the Masamune back over his shoulder. Aerith didn't give him the chance to catch her off-guard again, twirling her staff and swinging at his head. By the time the staff came up that high it hit only air, Sephiroth quickly moving out of its path and swinging the Masamune down. Aerith leaned back, watching the katana's tip slice the air in front of her face. Sephiroth turned with the momentum of the missed strike and swung again. This time Aerith brought her staff back to block him, the force sending her stumbling back. She struggled to regain her composure and footing as Sephiroth brought the sword back again, perfectly poised.

_"You could stand to learn something from him. Never give an enemy an opening unless you're looking to die. You'll never be half the SOLDIER he is unless you learn this!"_

With a growl at the memory, Aerith ran forward again, swinging the staff down and changing its momentum with a flick of the wrist, bringing it back up in the hopes of catching him off guard. It didn't work – Sephiroth neatly sidestepped and brought the Masamune over to catch the staff, knocking it back and swinging at Aerith in the same motion. Aerith stumbled back again, Masamune curving back towards her. Again and again Sephiroth slashed the air, Aerith narrowly blocking each strike. Every blow came from a different angle, Sephiroth moving faster than she could see. With a final swing, Aerith's staff flew out of her hands, flying through the air. The force of the swing swung her around and knocked her to the ground, the asphalt stinging her cheek.

"It is finished," Sephiroth said coldly, flipping his grip on his weapon. Aerith pushed herself onto her hands and knees, Sephiroth raising the Masamune over his shoulder and stabbing the air.

"Aerith!"

The distant sounds of the city stilled, and Aerith looked over her shoulder. Sephiroth stood perfectly still behind her, the Masamune less than an inch from impaling her. With a glare, Aerith climbed to her feet and watched the figure walking up from behind her opponent, snapping his cellphone shut.

"What the hell was that?" she yelled, marching up to Zack.

"Stopping the simulation, you know death costs a huge penalty on your score and-" The brunette was cut off by Aerith's fist slamming into his cheek. "Hey hey!" Zack protested, holding his face. "I was just helping you!"

"I didn't need or want your help!" Aerith snapped, walking over to her fallen staff. "I was handling him."

"Fine, how about next time Sephiroth goes to run you through, I stand there and watch?" Zack called. Aerith ignored him, picking up her staff and looking it over with a scowl. Zack sighed and pulled out his cellphone again. "We're done, shut it down," he ordered. The cityscape around them lit up green for a second, and then began to dissolve in particles of light. Aerith turned around and hefted her staff, throwing it through the air like a spear. The staff flew through the vanishing image of Sephiroth's face, clanging off the wall of the training room and falling back to the floor.

"Stress much?" Zack asked dryly as Aerith walked past him. She ignored him again.

_"Simulation test results calculated," _the computerized voice announced in the chamber. _"SOLDIER Second Class Zack Fair, score of 84%. SOLDIER Second Class Aerith, score of 92%."_

"Not bad, we both did better than last time," Zack offered. Aerith pressed the button on her staff to collapse it.

"Not better enough," she muttered, clipping it back on her waist. She had a sneaking suspicion now who it was that had changed the scenario on her. Only one man in Shinra had a sick enough mind to put Sephiroth into the simulation.

"Hey, if I hadn't saved you I probably would have beaten you, it's a big penalty if you get killed in the simulation. Don't I get a thank you?" Zack asked, smiling. Aerith looked over her shoulder and considered the truth behind the words.

"…thanks for nothing," she said, pressing the button on the wall to open the door. She left without another word, leaving Zack alone in the middle of the chamber.

"You're welcome!" he called after her as the door slid closed.

* * *

Aerith walked up the stairwells of the Shinra headquarters two stairs at a time. She preferred the stairs over the elevator, took longer but she got more exercise and time to herself. That was something she cherished, time wasn't something she got to herself often. She reached the sixty-first floor and swiped her keycard through the card reader by the door. The light on the reader turned green, and the door slid open.

Aerith stepped out into the break room, looking around. It was a little less crowded than usual, most of the people littering the room in the light blue uniforms of new SOLDIER recruits. Aerith smirked. She'd dealt with Thirds on a regular basis, they always came in arrogant and cocky over their successful recruitment. Then they began their training and either got taken down a peg and settled into a more business-like persona, or decided the training was too difficult and left. A dozen or so new ones joined every month, and by the next month usually only half of them would be left. She'd heard the recruitment process had been more selective up until a couple years ago, and as a result the drop-out rate was almost non-existent. She wished that whatever had changed hadn't, it was a waste of time and resources as far as she was concerned.

Aerith sat down at a small table in an abandoned corner of the room and put her feet up on the table. She noticed out of the corner of her eye that a few of the Thirds had begun to look her way, then turned back and whispered to their friends. Aerith closed her eyes with a discreet snort. She had long gotten used to such reactions from new employees, she _was_ the only female SOLDIER member in the company, and the only Second member with a customized weapon supplied by the company. The Seconds and Firsts were used to her, but Thirds saw her as a target for scorn or catcalls, sometimes both. She ignored them unless they caused trouble for her, which wasn't often fortunately. Whenever one did she made an example of him, and that usually scared off the rest for a few months, before inevitably a newer recruit who underestimated the rumors mustered up the nerve to try himself.

"Aerith!" Aerith turned her head to the stairs and let out a low groan. Zack jogged over to her and sat down on the table across from her. Behind him walked another Second in a red uniform. Aerith vaguely recognized his posture.

"Hi Aerith."

"Hey Kyle."

"Kunsel."

"Whatever."

"See, I told you she'd be here," Zack told Kunsel as he sat down. "She always goes here to sulk when she blows a simulation," Zack said. Aerith shot him a vicious glare. "Er, I mean, _finish _a simulation, with _flying_ colors too," Zack stammered. Aerith leaned her head back in her seat.

"Thanks for the rescue…but I still say I didn't need you to help me," she muttered.

"You two have another fight?" Kunsel asked, pulling off his helmet and setting it on the table. He ran a hand through short brown bangs and shook his head. "You two fight more than an old married couple."

"Watch it Kyle!" Aerith snapped. Kunsel snickered slightly.

"Hey, turn it up!" the three turned their heads to the crowd of Thirds, now staring at the large TV set into the wall. One of them had gotten their hands on the remote and was cranking up the volume until the news reporter's voice filled the floor.

_"Last week's siege on Fort Tamblin crippled the Wutai defense network, cutting off their supply route into the valley where their strongholds lay. Godo Kisaragi has agreed to sign a terms of surrender to the company and allow Shinra the right to any construction they wish on Wutai soil, provided the company withdraws from Wutai in short order. An official peace treaty will be signed later this month, marking the end of the Wutai War." _The new recruits let out a collective protest. Aerith could guess why – the end of the war meant they'd lost any chance they might have had to prove themselves. She didn't care either way. The picture displayed beside the reporter changed to show someone besides the Wutai leader, and the hand lying flat on the back of the chair clenched.

_"The assault on Fort Tamblin was carried out by the Shinra hero himself, Sephiroth. Sephiroth spearheaded a frontal attack, while a covert force led by fellow SOLDIER members Genesis Rhapsodos and Angeal Hewley attacked the fort from behind to cut off any retreat or reinforcements. Trapped in this deadly pincer attack of Shinra might, Fort Tamblin fell with minimal casualties on Shinra's side. This final victory is the exclamation mark on just why Shinra has won the war, as exemplified by the commendable leadership of Sephiroth – an unrivalled combination of strength, courage, and teamwork. For Shinra News, I'm Laura Olsen."_

"Good to see Sephiroth and his henchmen hog the news like always," Aerith growled, drumming her fingers. The TV switched to a commercial for a new motorcycle model and the recruits muted it to talk amongst themselves.

"Eh, the media picks the heroes, and they pick people they can make fit the role. Sephiroth's young, handsome and one of the strongest SOLDIER members there is. Who else are they gonna fawn over?" Kunsel said.

"I don't think it's a big deal, I've seen the intelligence reports on Tamblin and the plans for the attack, it was just your typical sneak attack while almost half the fort was on patrol. It was an easy siege, they picked off the patrols in the forest one by one then just overwhelmed whoever was left behind in the fort." Zack shrugged. "If I'd been deployed there I probably could have taken the entire fort myself with that sort of resistance. It ain't that impressive, especially for the likes of Sephiroth."

"Of course the news won't tell the people _that_," Aerith reminded.

"Don't let it get to you," Zack said, grinning at her. "Someday we'll be Firsts ourselves, and then it'll be our time to shine. Give it a month, two months tops, you'll see." Zack moved closer to Aerith and leaned next to her, sweeping an arm through the air dramatically. "I can see it now, you, me and Kunsel fighting arm in arm, First Class SOLDIERs. Forget Sephiroth and Genesis and Angeal, _we're_ the future of Shinra. The three of us will travel the world, kicking butt all over the place. And it'll be _your_ pretty face plastered all over the evening news as they talk about our adventures. Everyone will watch the news and say 'Gee, I wish I was a SOLDIER like Zack, I wish I got to travel the world with a cute girlfriend like her'."

"You were going good up until that last part," Aerith said, rolling her eyes.

"Everyone knows you're next in line for promotion, Aerith, none of the other Seconds can even touch your simulation scores." Kunsel said.

"Pft, if I'm so good then why don't I get field missions?" Aerith muttered. She hated that most of all, Shinra never let her out of the tower even on assignments. She had gotten so good at the simulations because it was all she had, she had memorized the timings and honed her skills based in part on the computer's predictability. Even at the highest AI levels, simulated monsters and Wutai soldiers held no challenge for her. So why didn't she get to go on missions where she could put her skills to proper use? She had faltered on the altered simulation today, but that was just proof they had taken her as far as she could go, she needed more. She needed missions. She needed to be out there with Zack and Kunsel showing what she could _really_ do.

"They don't want to waste your skill on menial tasks. Most of the Seconds sent to Wutai were green and needed Firsts like Sephiroth and the gang to whip them into shape. You don't need that sort of mentoring, but you aren't quite good enough to make First yet. You kinda fell through the cracks," Zack shrugged. "But don't worry about it, the time is coming. Just watch."

"I've been a Second for almost a year. That's longer than some of the Firsts, and with the war over they won't need troops as much anymore. Promotions will slow," Aerith said bitterly, crossing her arms. Secretly, she suspected she knew the reason for being overlooked. Firsts got to accept missions and go on field assignments without oversight, Seconds needed to apply and await approval for a couple hours before they could go. Keeping her a Second was the only way they could ensure she stayed under their watch.

"Maybe, maybe not. They promote based on skill, not just need. But it's also about how they handle other people, especially other SOLDIER members," Kunsel shrugged. "Firsts are media darlings, not just Sephiroth, and they're also field commanders and mentors to the Thirds and Seconds. Maybe they don't think you're ready to be that sort of leader."

"Hmph. Is that so?" Aerith muttered, lowering her head, her bangs covering her eyes. "So what you're saying is, I'm too much of a bitch to be the sort of figurehead they like for Firsts. Is that what you really mean?"

"You said that, not me," Kunsel said quietly, looking away. Aerith looked up at him through her bangs.

"Right," she said, standing.

"Hey, Aerith," Zack called as she began to walk away. "So, uh, sparring match in the training room later?" he offered as she kept walking.

"Busy," she tossed back, entering the stairwell. Zack's shoulders slumped as the door slid shut. Behind him, Kunsel shook his head and lifted his hand to pat his friend on the back.


	3. Chapter 3

Mother's Legacy

Chapter 3

* * *

Aerith furrowed her brow and turned over in bed. Her feet kicked at the covers, the sheets tangling in her legs. Within the dream she was panting, held down by some unseen force, voices speaking out of her view. Aerith thrashed her head back and forth, but saw only darkness. Small bits and pieces of the conversation being held between the unknown voices drifted to her ears. Her fingers clenched the sheets.

"Let me go!" Aerith shrieked in her sleep, pulling against invisible bonds. The voices ignored her and kept talking. Pain shot up her arms, her limbs going cold.

"Shut up, just _shut up!_" Aerith yelled, gnashing her teeth slightly. A figure loomed out of the darkness, eyes staring at her, round, blank and pure white. Aerith sat up, the bonds breaking. She wiped the cold sweat off her forehead, grimacing at the clammy feeling of her skin, and laid back in the bed, panting slightly atop the mass of tangled sheets. The same dream, as always. Aerith hated it, she wasn't some childish coward frightened of a shadowy boogeyman. She didn't have nightmares…except that one. For as long as she could remember, it was the same every time. A sharp pain right on the elbow joints, an icy sensation running along her arms and legs, struggling to breath as bubbles of air floated around her. She'd never been swimming but imagined that it may have been like the dream.

Unable to get back to sleep, Aerith stood and glanced at the red digital numbers over her door. Almost three am, three hours too early to request leave for training of any sort. She could hack the control panel to open the door. She'd done it once before, just to see if she could and to get the perverted watchman behind the security cameras fired for not sounding the alert when she had done it. But they'd learned since then, had extended the surveillance to around the clock, and upgraded the lock for the door. Even now the small silver camera in the corner of the room was glowing green under the lens. Aerith looked straight up at her and lifted a hand to give a wag of two of her fingers as a wave. She hadn't met the crew that had taken over watching her since the pervert was fired. She preferred it that way.

Aerith crossed the small room to her desk. On a small shelf on the wall behind it was lined a dozen or so books. She had been forced to go through a lot of trouble to get them from inside the building. Zack had bought her a few, Sephiroth got her another – against her will as she made sure he knew – and others had been discreetly stolen when she noticed someone else in the ranks had one she was interested in and slipped away when she got the chance. All covered the same subject she had focused all her attention and time on – fighting. Some on martial arts, one on swordplay, more on simple physical and mental conditioning. Sephiroth had made mention once the only reason Shinra let her keep them was because he and Lazard had convinced them her interests were in-line with her position as a SOLDIER operative.

Aerith saw the slim pink book on the end of the row and snorted, running a finger along the spine. The book's title was written in gold on the cover and spine – LOVELESS. Genesis had given her a copy of the poem when she made Second. "A congratulatory gift" he had said. She hadn't opened the book once, LOVELESS had nothing to offer her, just meaningless drivel that had somehow convinced Genesis it held a deeper meaning. Aerith had never read LOVELESS, but she didn't need to, Genesis made sure anyone who would listen to him long enough knew LOVELESS by heart like he did.

* * *

_"Infinite in mystery, is the gift of the goddess. We seek it thus, and take to the sky…"_

_ "Does he have to do that while I'm trying to concentrate?" Aerith grated, glaring over her shoulder at Genesis. Genesis lifted his eyes from his book to look at her and smirked slightly. Across from Aerith in the small training room, Zack shrugged his shoulders._

_ "I just tune him out," he replied._

_ "I would expect two of our most promising Thirds to show more respect for the arts." Genesis lectured, snapping the book shut. "I know the aptitude tests for SOLDIER never gave much attention to cultural intelligence, but this is just shameful. Betterment of the mind is just as important to training as betterment of the body. A true SOLDIER understands that and embraces it. LOVELESS is as important to your training as a training exercise."_

"_I don't see how listening to your boring droning has anything to do with being a better SOLDIER," Aerith muttered. _

"_Combat is an exercise not only of the body, but of the mind. You have to maintain your focus and concentration, and find peace within yourself. Doubt and hesitation are more dangerous enemies than any foe of flesh and blood. And, if nothing else," Genesis turned his eyes to Zack with a small smile, "learning to tune me out teaches you to ignore distractions and keep your mind on a task at hand." Zack grinned sheepishly, while Aerith's eyes just narrowed into a glare._

"_If you're suggesting Zack is surpassing me, you can just go to Hell," Aerith quipped. Genesis gave her a tolerant look._

"_Well then, continue the match, and prove to me you are truly his superior," he said. Aerith turned back to Zack and nodded. He shrugged and the two began sparring again, both narrowly blocking each other's attacks but not fully trying to hit the other._

_ "Ripples form on the water's surface." Aerith growled slightly as she heard Genesis resum his reading behind her. "The wandering soul knows no rest." Aerith knocked Zack's attack aside and turned her head._

_ "Cut that out, I'm-" Aerith felt a sharp pain in her arm and cried out, falling to her knees. She looked at her left arm to see a long gash down the side of her upper arm, blood running down it._

_ "I'm sorry!" Zack cried, dropping his sword and kneeling beside her. "I didn't expect you to turn away, I thought…sorry…"_

_ "Not your fault," Aerith muttered, pushing his hand away from the cut and glaring up at Genesis. He smirked and looked down at her over the top of his book._

_ "You see? Distraction and concentration, diversion and focus. Believe me Aerith, when I warn your field missions will teach you these lessons much more directly and harshly. Better you learn to find your peace and focus here than be forced to find it facing a true enemy, hm?"_

* * *

Aerith gently tossed the book back onto the stack. Genesis was a strong warrior, but it was difficult to tolerate his philosophical lecturing. He either began quoting LOVELESS or he spoke in riddles, either way, highly irritating. That had easily been the worst period of Aerith's life thus far, her time as a Third Class. By SOLDIER policy, First Class members often oversaw the training of the Thirds. That usually meant Angeal watched Zack and Sephiroth trained Aerith. And since he was their friend, Genesis often worked his way in too. More often than not Aerith found herself close to losing her temper regardless of which of the three was overseeing her training. Angeal and Genesis were long-winded blowhards as far as she was concerned, and Sephiroth…well, there weren't any words to describe how she felt about him. She had pushed herself to her limits, working as hard as she could to advance to Second Class simply so she could see less of them.

_"I've worked hard to get this far…" _Aerith thought. She hadn't been given an express ticket to the top of the company like _some_ members of SOLDIER. She had been forced to prove herself just as competent and powerful as any of the other members. She didn't know if her instructors had held any bias or prejudice towards her for being a woman, but if they did or not she didn't care. She had demonstrated she was worthy of the SOLDIER title, and she was proud of that. Her scores in the simulators and physical examinations had risen steadily since her promotion to Second, her skill was second to none outside of the Firsts. Kunsel and Zack had been right, she had heard the rumors of her promotion to First being around the corner if she kept improving. Aerith had been pleased when she had first heard. She deserved to be in First. She deserved to be recognized.

_"But being the best of the Seconds, even being a First, it isn't enough…still not enough," _she recited, closing her eyes. Her ultimate goal was still far out of reach. To reach the pinnacle of her training, to know for sure she was as powerful as she could be, would require more than just being a First. Even if she was promoted, until she could realize her true desires, it meant nothing to her. Her eyes fell on a picture on her desk. The glass was cracked from where, in a fit of rage, she had thrown it across the room. She hated the picture, which she knew was the point. It had been taken when she was younger, and had not yet learned to despise the man standing behind her with a protective hand on her shoulder. Now it served as a reminder of the shadow she needed to shatter.

_"To prove my skills beyond question…To become the strongest, to be recognized as a true SOLDIER…I have to defeat him. Nothing else matters until I surpass him."_

* * *

"Just look at them," Zack sighed, nodding his head out the window. Aerith looked down at the distant steps at the front of the Shinra building, a thick line of light teal uniforms filling them. "The new Thirds are doing their first exercises in the city. Imagine it, dozens of new recruits full of arrogance, hope and spirit." Zack gave out a slight chuckle. "I ranked them in order of quantity."

"They'll be depleted of them in the same order," Aerith muttered. "The Thirds come and go so often there's no point bothering to keep track of all of them. Give it a month and half of the ones down there will leave or be discharged. The rest of them, a lot of them will probably die before they get a chance to advance to Second. What's left…well, I doubt there will be."

"You are way too cynical," Zack said. "You never know, there could be a few keepers down there. I was a Third Class too once you know, and so were you. Just another pair of faces in the crowd at first, then we proved ourselves, and look at us now."

_"Another pair of faces," _Aerith thought. _"Hardly." _

"Wonder why they changed the uniform colors," Zack mused. "They were giving the Thirds blue when I joined up, then they switched to teal a few months later."

"Does it matter?" Aerith said, annoyed he was, of all things, discussing fashion.

"It does to me, you started off as a teal when you joined a little bit after me. Would be cool if we matched," Zack shrugged. Aerith rolled her eyes. "Well maybe we'll match when we make First. I've never seen any of the teal to red crowd make First yet, but the blue to purple ones get black."

"If they try to give me a black uniform I'll hand it back and ask for another color," Aerith smirked. Zack laughed in response.

"Yeah, you would," he agreed. Aerith looked down the hall at the door to the simulator. The red light on the wall outside still hadn't turned green, and she'd been waiting in the hall for more than a half an hour at this point. Even the worsts of the Seconds never took that long. Maybe they had begun letting Thirds use it?

"What's taking so damn long?" she growled. Zack looked back at the light and shrugged.

"They don't just use it for training, it gets used for physical examinations too. Might still be a while," Zack said. Aerith scowled at the suggestion and stood, heading to the door.

"Then let's just see who's so important they think they can waste my time waiting for them," she muttered. She reached the door and reached to the keypad to type in her personal

"Excuse me!" Aerith turned her head to see a Third approaching her, his helmet tucked under his arm to expose brown eyes and dark red hair. "You're a Second Class, aren't you?" he asked. Aerith nodded sharply. "I just joined SOLDIER, I'm Jared." He offered his hand, and Aerith ignored it.

"You're skipping training is what you are," Aerith noted. Jared shrugged and withdrew his hand.

"I'm not too worried, the way they described the first training exercise it doesn't sound important. I scored in the top ten percent of the applicants, I figure I'll be fine without it."

"I can tell you now you're dead wrong," Aerith said dryly. "SOLDIER isn't some school course where you can skip a test and make it up later. You're going to be penalized for missing that exercise and it won't make a good first impression on the instructors. Applications mean nothing if you don't work to keep up that level of skill."

"Yeesh, speaking of first impressions," Jared muttered. "I was just going to ask you if you could show me around the building, so I can find my way around in the future. You don't need to be so cold."

"By which you mean you just want to spend time with me," Aerith muttered, recognizing flirting when she saw it. She'd spent enough time around Zack to know the signs, though he was usually subtler about his come-ons than Jared was being. "I don't think so."

"Hey, don't talk down me because I'm new," Jared said hotly. "I bet I could take you in a fight, if you wanna go." Aerith rolled her eyes at the challenge. Beside her head, the red light set into the wall turned green.

"I don't think so, wouldn't help your early reputation much to get beaten on your first sparring exercise. And I don't look down on you because you're new, I look down on you because you're arrogant, lazy and probably hotheaded. An attitude like that won't last a month in SOLDIER, and odds are neither will you."

"You can't talk that way to me, I don't care what rank you are!" Jared snapped. A few wandering Seconds with a scientist stopped to watch them, Jared's outburst echoing slightly.

"Aerith, everything okay?" Aerith turned to see Zack walking down the hall towards her.

"Just fine Zack. I was simply putting one of those arrogant new Thirds we talked about a moment ago in his place." Jared's face went red, and the door to the simulation room slid open.

"Now you listen to me, you stuck-up little bit-"

Jared was cut off as a long sword thrust out of the entrance to the simulation room, the blade held out in front of his eyes. He jumped back with a sharp cry and turned to the door. His eyes went wide at the sight of the silver and black wall filling the doorframe, arm outstretched to hold the blade, and Jared took another step back. Aerith looked and let out a disgusted groan, turning away a moment after.

"Finishing that sentence," Sephiroth said lowly, narrowing his eyes, "would be _very_ unwise." Jared nodded rapidly, his face pale.

"Y-yes, Sephiroth, sir. Sorry," he whimpered. Aerith snorted at his sudden cowardice. Sure, everyone in the world knew Sephiroth, but the reactions he invoked in people said as much about them as they did about him. Jared's rage was quenched instantly and replaced with fear. Sephiroth lowered the Masamune and tucked it behind his arm, turning his eyes towards Aerith.

"Aerith. Are the Third Class soldiers not doing training exercises right now?" Sephiroth asked. Aerith nodded. "Then, our new friend here is being tardy." Sephiroth turned back to Jared, glaring. "Angeal trains the newest recruits out of personal preference, but the other Firsts including myself take over shortly after. I suggest you learn to be punctual under Angeal before you move on. He's merciful to types like you. I am not."

"Yes, sir, I will learn, sir," Jared nodded again, swallowing heavily.

"Good. Then go. You've wasted too much of my time," Sephiroth ordered. Jared sprinted away, heading for the elevators. Sephiroth watched him go, and then turned to Aerith.

"I would assume you wish to use the simulator, Aerith?" he asked.

"You would assume correctly, Sephiroth," Aerith replied, imitating his tone of voice. Sephiroth nodded sharply and moved aside. Aerith stepped forward to enter the room, when Sephiroth outstretched his arm to block her. "What?" Aerith asked, annoyed. It was bad enough she had to see him today, instantly ruining whatever relatively good mood she had been working up to, but now he wanted to talk?

"I haven't seen you in several weeks since being dispatched to Wutai," Sephiroth said. "Isn't there anything else you have to say to me?"

"Yes – move. If you want me to miss you, it hasn't nearly been long enough," Aerith shot back. "While you were down in Wutai soaking up glory from behind a squadron of loyal minions, some of us here were working and training hard. Work and training you're interfering with right now."

"You do more than enough training for one of your station and skill," Sephiroth said. "Simulations can only take your prowess so far."

"And don't think I've not noticed, but until your bosses decide to let me take on missions, what other choice do I have?" Aerith muttered. "Speaking of, someone, I can't imagine who, programmed in a new opponent for me to fight the last time."

"Oh? And what sort of opponent would that have been?"

"You."

"Really, now?" Sephiroth mused, raising an eyebrow slightly. "And the results?" Aerith just scowled. "I see."

"Hi Sephiroth!" Zack said from behind Aerith. Sephiroth turned his eyes towards him. Zack waved and forced a smile "I'm Zack, we've met a few times before. Remember me?"

"Not particularly," Sephiroth said. Zack made a face and lowered his arm. Sephiroth thought for a moment. "Although on further thought, I do vaguely recall someone in Second Class introducing himself to me as Aerith's boyfriend." Aerith spun around to glare at Zack.

"I was joking, really!" Zack protested, backing away. Sephiroth closed his eyes and smiled slightly, turning and walking away. Aerith turned back to him as he left and reached to her belt. She took three quick steps and swung her hand forward, the collapsible staff in her hand extending as she lunged at Sephiroth's back. A loud metallic clang rang through the air as Aerith's staff slammed into the side of the Masamune, Sephiroth's hand twisting the sword to block the strike without even turning his head. Aerith made a disgusted face.

"You're getting faster," Sephiroth noted, moving the Masamune back into its more relaxed position. Aerith withdrew her staff. It had become almost a ritual for her to try and strike him when by chance they passed in the halls, but he always blocked her with ease. Even the first time she had tried it, when he couldn't possibly have suspected it, he had spun and lifted a hand to catch the staff before she could react. Instead of being annoyed or angered, he had almost seemed pleased. "The last few times you've attempted to strike me, I've been forced to strain my senses to hear you. I did warn you once your stealth skills are lacking. Good to see you listened to me."

"I told you. I've been training while you were in Wutai," Aerith repeated.

"Obviously," Sephiroth turned around and gave a sharp nod. "The day will come soon, Aerith, when you stand beside me in First Class."

"You're half-right. The day _will_ come when I stand as a First," Aerith agreed, "But I won't be beside you, Sephiroth. Especially not you. "

"Then as a rival or an ally, I look forward to seeing further signs of your progress. Don't disappoint me Aerith." Sephiroth turned and continued walking towards the elevators, Aerith retracting her staff to its collapsed state and clipping it back to her belt with a flick of her hand.

"One of these days," Aerith said under her breath, clenching her hands. "One of these days…"

"You get way too worked up over him you know," Zack advised from behind her. "I mean sure, everyone wants to be a First, but if you're aiming to surpass Sephiroth you're in for a disappointing career." Aerith's eyes widened, before narrowing back into a glare. Her hands clenched tighter.

"Shut up!" Aerith snapped, looking over her shoulder.. "I _can_ beat him! I'm every bit as powerful as he is, I just need to keep training and get some damn missions so I can prove it!" Without another word, Aerith entered the simulation room and pressed the button to close the door behind her before Zack could follow.

* * *

Aerith's staff whirled through the air, her eyes focused on a series of words floating in the air in the simulation. Placed in an abandoned warehouse for purposes of the test, she was performing the kata of the Five Forms. Currently the second was highlighted, but as part of the test on her reflexes and reaction times, at random whim of the testers any of the other four words might light up instead, prompting her to change form immediately. Aerith had taken this simulation almost as many times as the training simulations, but this one was never repetitive, she always needed to improve her form and the random nature ensured she was kept on her toes. Twirling the staff behind her back, she spun to lift it overhead and brought it down in a wide sweep as she turned back to the front.

"Ah!" Aerith cried out in surprise at the sight of the red and black coat standing before her now. Genesis smiled as she took a step back and regained her composure. "What are you doing here?" Aerith asked. "Wait your turn."

"Zack told me you were in here performing the Forms simulation," Genesis said, circling her. "I decided to check in and see how you were doing."

"And?" Aerith replied.

"Quite well. According to the observers your results from this simulation outrank even some Firsts," Genesis continued. He stopped and gave her a curious look. "Puzzling that you seek to better yourself even knowing you are superior to most others in SOLDIER."

"Not enough," Aerith shook her head. "I'm not a First yet, and a lot of them can still match and outdo my scores."

"By which you mean, there is one First in particular who can outdo you, hm?" Genesis gave her a knowing smile. Aerith glared, and Genesis raised his hand. "You practice the Five Forms, but having never been in a true battle, do you understand their nature?" he asked, snapping his fingers. A SOLDIER sword appeared in his hand, and he assumed a fighting stance.

"You're got to be kidding me," Aerith muttered.

"You have mentioned before the simulations no longer challenge you. In lieu of Sephiroth, consider me a more formidable test of your training," Genesis offered.

"Alright then," Aerith said, shifting her weight. He made a good point, Genesis was no Sephiroth but he was still one of the most powerful Firsts. Maybe, if she could impress him, perhaps even defeat him, and make sure word got back to the right people…

Genesis's sword cleaved the air and Aerith swung to deflect it. Genesis turned his body with the movement and spun around to slice the sword back up. Aerith pulled back to dodge and swung her staff blindly, his sword passing out of her field of vision. She lowered her head back down and raised her staff to block another blow.

"The Five Forms are not just a series of kata, no recited series of movements that can be measured with data," Genesis lectured, stepping back. "True understanding of them will grant you full mastery of the battlefield, and allow you to combat any opponent in any situation." He swung again, and Aerith used both hands to knock it away and positioned her staff to swing and block the next blow. Instead Genesis moved differently than before and she found the tip of his sword poised in front of her face.

"B'feidhm. Way of Force," Genesis said. "To overcome an opponent with overwhelming power and strength, to forsake all defense for unrivalled offense. The benefits of this form are its ability to pressure and overpower a physically weaker or tired opponent. But do you know its weaknesses?"

_"So that's his game. Pretentious as always," _Aerith thought. She thought back to her reading on the Forms. B'feidhm allowed superior offensive strength, but at the cost of leaving the user vulnerable to more agile and evasive opponents able to dodge the attacker's weapon and strike where they had no defense. Genesis swung again, Aerith blocking and stepping forward, spinning her staff around to intercept Genesis's sword as it moved for another blow and slamming her open palm into his chest. He stumbled backwards, and Aerith allowed herself a smile.

"Acla' ocht. Way of Agility," she recited. "To focus on reading an opponent's movements and judge the best way to dodge and counter their strikes. Benefits are an advantage against an aggressive foe with poor form, but the disadvantages are reliance on the opponent's foolishness in leaving themselves open, since the practitioner themselves are relying on precision movements."

"Well done," Genesis nodded. "And you did just that, watched me for a sign of my strike and stopped me before it began. Had this been a real fight, you could have continued your assault. But them, had this been a real fight, I'd have never shown you that opening."

"Don't go easy on me. You said to consider you a better challenge," Aerith replied.

"So I did," Genesis conceded. "Continue. Whichever form pleases you." Aerith thought and nodded, charging him. Her staff whirled through the air, bouncing off of Genesis's sword as he blocked her. Aerith moved with the deflections, keeping her balance and striking again when she could, sometimes spinning around entirely. She kept an eye on Genesis's arms and blade to figure out where he might try and hit her while she was focusing on her poise. But he wasn't, he kept moving to dodge or block her but his feet stayed planted and his arms solid and firm, moving with precise direction.

"Cas 'ad, Way of Grace. Interesting choice," Genesis mused.

"To devote focus to maintaining one's balance and form, allowing greater ease of movement and a wide range of attacking at all directions," Aerith said. "Unparalleled against multiple assailants since the user can see all about them and quickly ready their weapon for an attack from any angle, but near useless against a single opponent due to its lack of power or defense compared to the other Forms."

"And yet you use it against me," Genesis nodded. "Its other advantage is that it is more impressive to watch than other, practical Forms. Are you trying to impress me, or someone watching?"

"Maybe both?" Aerith said, continuing to strike. Her muscles were beginning to tire slightly, Genesis's blocks hurt her arms and shoulders and her ankles were exhausted of all the footwork she was doing. She struck again, and Genesis turned his sword to catch her staff and flip it out of her hand. Aerith lost her focus and fell on her back, her staff clanging to the ground some distance away.

"Particularly not a good choice against the Way of Protection, caom noir. Focus is placed on protecting one's self from attack and minimizing movement of the body in doing so to conserve energy while waiting a proper moment to unleash a counterstrike. A Form like cas 'ad takes too much strength out of you, to perform at length if you cannot get the results needed, and so you quickly tired and got sloppy."

"I know," Aerith muttered, looking around for her staff.

"And that is why you are not a First."

Aerith froze, Genesis's voice suddenly cold and strict compared to its usual tone. She looked up at him, more confused than angry for once.

"What?"

"You focus far too much on personal glory and impressing others. Shinra doesn't choose Firsts based just on power and skill, but on their leadership skills. They are the company's elite troops, a symbol of them, and thus it is important they appear as proper heroes. Aerith, you are powerful, yes, but also selfish and eager for approval. In short, you are not a hero, and will not be one until you cast off those traits."

"Don't lecture me you pompous bastard!" Aerith yelled, jumping to her feet. "What do you know about heroics, you and Angeal and Sephiroth made your careers massacring Shinra's enemies for no crime other than they were Shinra's enemies. And you know just as well as I do how destructive and corrupt they are, but you still serve them as a lapdog, is _that_ how a 'hero' acts!" Her last words rang in the air. Genesis turned his head away, his eyes clouded.

"Fortunate for you, I asked them to cease recording when I entered, so we could train in private," he whispered. "A punishment far worse than demotion could be given out for that level of insubordination."

"They won't kill me. They can't," Aerith replied. Genesis shook his head sadly.

"It was a mistake to come here. You've still far more to learn before anything I say might get through to you," he said. The SOLDIER sword in his hand vanished.

"You never told me about the fifth Form," Aerith said. Genesis ignored her and reached into his pocket, flipping open his cellphone.

"You may be interested to know I can into Sephiroth on the elevator before I came here," he said.

"Nope, not a bit," Aerith shrugged.

"He was on his way to Lazard's office. Wanted to find out who he needs to speak to in order to get you clearance to accept missions. Even said he'll personally vouch for the importance of such in regards to your skill and development, if they're hesitant."

"What?" Aerith gasped, surprised. Genesis held his phone up to his ear. "Wait!"

"I'm done here," he said into the phone. He snapped it shut as his body lit up in green light and dissolved as he left the simulation. Aerith watched him go.

"Sephiroth…Speaking on my behalf?" she thought aloud. She looked down at her staff across the room and let out a sigh. She pulled out her own phone. Suddenly she had lost interest in the exercise.

"I'm done too," she said. The room dissolved around her, leaving her in the center of the training room with her real staff still clipped to her belt. Aerith left without a word, not stopping as the scientist at the controls turned to read off her results.


	4. Chapter 4

**Yes, this fic is revived! The writing bug bit hard and I've got enough creativity - I think - swirling around for at least two more chapters, and coincidentally these are the three chapters where stuff FINALLY happens and the proper plotlines get moving. Come one come all reviewers and let me know you're as excited about the revival as I am, and enjoy the story anew!**

Mother's Legacy

Chapter 4

* * *

_"Hero…" _Aerith thought bitterly. The word had always left a sour taste in her mouth. Angeal spouted it like some profound philosophy, the news tossed it around all the time about Sephiroth. SOLDIERs from Third to First talked of wanting to become a hero like the three famous Firsts that had won Wutai. Aerith never cared about the idea, and as such she saw it as the nonsense it was. None of them knew what a hero truly was. Shinra began the Wutai war to expand their power and grip on the planet, and there was no counting how many died on both sides to fulfill their greed. And yet the veterans of the war were dubbed heroes when they came home, and Aerith heard some of them brag about how many Wutai soldiers they had killed. There were no heroes in Shinra. Only murderers and the people who ordered them about.

The intercom on her wall buzzed, and Aerith turned away from her window, raindrops falling down the glass behind the thick iron bars.

_"Aerith!" _a nasal voice snapped. _"It's time for the monthly check. I want you here within two minutes. Get moving, now." _Aerith suppressed a shudder.

"Yes, professor," she called back. The intercom shut up, and Aerith approached her door. The red light overheard flashed to green as it slid open, and she walked briskly to the elevators. The last time she had deliberately been late to delay the check, she'd suddenly be refused access to the training rooms of SOLDIER for two days. Now she knew better. She swiped her security card on the elevator, stepped inside, and pressed the button for the 68th floor.

Several seconds later, the elevator doors slid open on the headquarters of the Shinra Science Department.

"Gown is there," Hojo said, pointing to a folded up light blue medical gown on a table. He was busy reading off a paper and looking between it and a computer screen. Aerith didn't know or care what he was doing, and given the choice she'd prefer to keep it that way.

"Yes, professor," she droned. She hated coming up here. Every month, usually in the middle, her intercom would crackled to life and Hojo would summon her. Talking back to him, refusing, trying to make it difficult for him, just ended up costing her. The tests themselves were invasive and uncomfortable, but it was how forcibly she had to submit to them that really drove Aerith to the level of hatred she now held for Hojo and this lab of his.

"I received a request on your behalf," Hojo continued, not turning to her as Aerith picked up the gown. She only noticed the light blue towel underneath it after she had picked it up. "Use the towel to keep your head dry, and consider yourself grateful someone thought enough of your complaints after you left last time to do something about it."

"Yes, professor." Another listing on the debt she owed. Aerith would have to have a stern talk with someone about his dealings for her behind her back, and without her consent. If she had truly been bothered by something enough to want it done differently, she would have handled it herself. Aerith debated on taking the towel, but decided to swallow her pride. She walked to the medical shower closed off from the lab by another door and stepped inside, setting the gown and towel on the table inside.

Waiting for the door to close firmly, she stripped off her uniform and boots, the steel floor cold on her bare feet, and set them on the table next to the gown. She then curled her ponytail around her head before wrapping the towel around her hair. Normally she unbraided the tail and just let her hair get washed with the rest of her body, but that then meant having to take a normal shower back at her room so she could dry it properly, and then having to track down the nice female scientist who braided it for her. Aerith wore it like that to keep her hair from blocking her view and distracting her in battle, but she didn't know how to do the braids herself. She had mentioned to Genesis last month when he watched her exit the simulator that she had mistimed an enemy blow because her free-flowing hair blocked that angle of sight. Genesis obviously had passed it on to Sephiroth, or talked to Hojo himself.

Sliding open the glass door to the shower, Aerith stepped in, slid the door shut, and pressed the button on the wall, then held her arms out to the side, used to the routine. With the sound of a buzzer, nozzles slid out from the walls and ceiling and sprayed her with lukewarm warm. She counted off ten seconds, then on cue the nozzles retracted and warm air blasted from vents. Another ten seconds, and they subsided. Dry, Aerith took off the towel and let her ponytail down, left the shower and put on the medical gown. Taking a breath and steeling herself for the inevitable procedures to come, she stepped back into the lab and walked to a steel table tilted up on an angle on a rotator on its base. She turned and leaned back against it, the top of her head slightly emerging over the top, and she waited while Hojo finished whatever he was working on. Fortunately for her desire to get this all over with, he didn't take long.

"Alright then," Hojo mumbled, walking over to her. He set a small steel wire basket on another table and took out a butterfly needle, tapping it twice with his finger. He lifted Aerith's arm by the wrist and slid it into the crook of her elbow. He hooked a blood vial up to the other end, and thick dark red blood began to run down the tube. Hojo set the vial in a holder on the side of the table's edge, and turned to take a small pair of scissors and a plastic container from the basket next. He unscrewed the lid, holding it between his fingers, and looked up at Aerith's head. The scissors snipped a few inches off one of her bangs, and he screwed it into the container. The blood vial full, Hojo disconnected it and hooked up a second.

"Anything to report?" he asked, taking another container, taking off its lid and taking a pair of nail clippers.

"No, professor," Aerith said quietly, automatically lifting her hand. Hojo clipped her forefinger, the clipping falling into the container, and it too was sealed and put aside.

"Your simulator scores have plateaued since last time," Hojo said, unclipping the second vial of blood and extracting the needle from Aerith's arm.

"They don't challenge me anymore. It's not about skill, it's about me predicting the patterns," Aerith replied as he put the needle away.

"Consistent scores in the 90s are a boast not even many Firsts can make. But if you do think so, perhaps you need someone to program new simulations for you," Hojo said, smiling slightly. Aerith didn't miss his meaning.

"That wasn't fair of you, to put him in the program," she said, mustering as much anger in her voice as she dared.

"Life isn't fair, my dear. You of all people should be used to that by now," Hojo snapped back, a cruel smirk on his face. Aerith forced herself not to reply. If she had her way, she would have jumped up and wrapped her hands around Hojo's neck and squeezed until she heard a crack. But unfortunately, Hojo was the one man she interacted with regularly that she was powerless against. Her barbs and quips were always met with disciplinary action, and there was no way she could attack him if she expected to keep living. She knew for some reason Shinra valued her, but not that much.

"You know I can't beat him. You just put him there to mock me," she accused.

"I knew no such thing. There was no mocking, merely experimentation," Hojo replied, organizing the samples he had taken from her on the table. "I'm a scientist, experiments are what I do. I wished to see how you handled him. Which, as a small consolation, was better than I thought you would. Barely."

"I didn't know he was going to be there. I was off my guard, emotional. Not a fair test," Aerith said. It was an excuse, she knew, but she could cling to it. Secretly she was glad, if seeing Sephiroth in the simulations was going to become common now, it was another pattern of programming she could decipher and predict, maybe make a show to someone when she struck down the simulated 'hero'.

"Oh no, the unfair part would have been to tell you. The program has a new algorithm one of my assistants encoded, based on the Five Forms program. It randomizes various parameters including when and where he'll appear from now on and what type of fighting style he'll employ," Hojo gave Aerith a knowing smirk. "Should take care of that pesky 'predictability' problem, hm?"

"Indeed," Aerith nodded, clenching her fist. He had practically read her thoughts and shot her down instantly. Hojo had always enjoyed holding Sephiroth over her head as a taunt. He was stronger than Aerith in every way that counted. Sephiroth knew it, Aerith knew it, and if she forgot for only a second Hojo had a multitude of ways to remind her. Growing up in Sephiroth's long shadow might have been tolerable if not for how Hojo lorded him over her. By the time she had officially joined SOLDIER and not just been a lab experiment kept in a cell, the message had been clear – Aerith had been expected to live up to Sephiroth's level of skill, and failed miserably. She was shuttled off to SOLDIER because Hojo had no further use of her, but Sephiroth had called in a favor to Lazard and gotten her transferred. It was the first debt she owed Sephiroth, her own life. She intended to repay it someday.

"Alright, keep your head still," Hojo said, sitting in a swivel chair and turning to his computer. Aerith let out a breath as the second part of the exam began. The metal clasps on the table snapped shut over her ankles and wrists, and the table tilted up horizontally, then slid back. The dull grey-blue of the lab ceiling panels shifted to white as the table and its occupant entered the machine behind her. It stopped, and a steel band covered in electrodes extended from the far end of the tube-like cavity to cover the top of Aerith's head, the cold metal pressing into her skin. Physical samples, for some reason, weren't enough for Hojo. Now came the psychological and intellectual evaluations.

"Comfy?" Hojo asked snidely, his voice cracking through a smaller speaker inside. Aerith didn't respond. "Good. We'll begin with the basics as always, mathematics."

* * *

"Hey, Kunsel," Zack called, running up to his friend as he stepped off the elevator. "Have you seen Genesis today?"

"No. Heard he and Sephiroth were sent on assignment," Kunsel shrugged.

"Both of them? Yeesh, must have been something big."

"Rumors say a Wutai insurgent group is camped out north of Kalm. They're closer than any group noted before. Can't risk them getting closer," Kunsel explained.

"I'll bet," Zack nodded.

"I was heading to the briefing room to check the mission board, wanna check it out? Might be something fun for us," Kunsel offered.

"I wanna stay here to make sure I can talk to Genesis, but yeah I'll come," Zack replied. The two began walking to the briefing room.

"So what is it you need to see him about?" Kunsel asked.

"The other day he went into the simulation room, said he wanted to see how Aerith was doing. She came out just after he left in a really bad mood."

"Zack, man, I get that you're sweet on her, but Aerith is _always_ in a bad mood, little wonder why if Genesis was there," Kunsel laughed. "You know she hates all three of them."

"You just need to get to know her. And anyway this was different, I know she doesn't like them but something wasn't right with her, she wouldn't talk to me and just went back to her room." Zack shook his head. "She's always hiding in there, only ever comes out to train. If I wasn't here to talk her into socializing now and then I don't think anyone would ever see her."

"Rumor goes she stays in there because she's a prisoner. They only let her out for so long each day," Kunsel said, the door to the briefing room sliding open.

"What? Where'd you here that?" Zack asked, confused.

"One of the Turks, guy called Tseng, heard him talking to a guard the other day that he was getting lax watching her room, letting her stay out too often. They didn't know I could hear them, I think it was supposed to be private," Kunsel explained, approaching the holographic screen listing the missions available.

"First I've ever heard of it. Wonder why she never said anything," Zack thought aloud, bothered by the new information. He never saw Aerith talk to anyone at length except him, and it had taken months to get to the point where he felt comfortable referring to her as a friend to her face. He just assumed she liked keeping to herself, but to be kept prisoner in her room?

"There's a lot of odd rumors circulating about her," Kunsel said.

"What?" Zack muttered, moving from confused to irritated. "Like what?"

"Rumors about why she's the only female SOLDIER in existence. Why she's so much more powerful than so many others. Why she never takes on missions or assignments." Kunsel looked over the mission list and crossed his arms. "Nothing here but monster patrols and scouting out suspected insurgent camps. Was hoping for something to get my hands on more Materia."

"Back up," Zack said, stepping up behind him. "How long have these rumors been going on?"

"Months, man, maybe years. Heard them not long after I came around. The brass tries to stamp it out, so we're not supposed to talk about it, but it's inevitable. People hear things, they wonder, they ask questions, like me and the Turk. I'd wager the only reason no one has brought it up to you is maybe they don't want to get you involved or make you angry, you being her only friend here."

"Yeah, I guess…so why tell me now?"

"Because there's something weird going on," Kunsel said. "I've told you before Zack, I know things, I make it a point to find things out. The last month before the end of the Wutai war, we were at a stalemate, couldn't push past the mountains. Then suddenly, we steamroll them, no resistance, Wutai surrenders. We were getting nowhere, then we push into their city and they surrender clean and easy. Now it's been almost a week, and I've checked this board every day," Kunsel gestured to the mission board. "Nothing has come up, not a thing. During the war it was flooded with missions to take out Wutai spies, investigate secret bases and scouting operations, sabotage their supply lines."

"So it's quiet," Zack shrugged.

"Too quiet. Shouldn't there be a bunch of insurgent groups attacking? A lone warrior looking for a suicide mission in revenge? Resistance from Wutai during the occupation?"

"You said that Genesis and Sephiroth were sent to check out an insurgent camp."

"Yeah, but they're the only ones. No one else has gotten anything, everyone is sitting in the lounge or down in the streets. It's not quiet, Zack, its dead. The war ended too fast and too clean. So maybe it didn't. Maybe it's just a break before something else happens."

"What does this have to do with Aerith?" Zack asked.

"Until we broke through the mountains in the last month, recruitment rates for the infantry and SOLDIER were the highest they've ever been, you practically walked into the barracks, got handed your equipment and walked back out to head to a helicopter. But she was still here, all the time. One of their top combatants able to take out a lot of the Firsts, and when everyone else is off fighting the war, she's still here. Why?"

"I don't know. Maybe she declined, I did it all the time to stay here and see what was going on at home," Zack said. Even as he said it though, he didn't believe it, Aerith was always angry she never got to take on missions or assignments. Kunsel was right, why wouldn't Shinra use her when they needed her?

"There's a lot of secrets going around now, more than usual. And there's always been a lot about her," Kunsel said.

"You think Aerith has something to do with why Wutai fell so easy?" Zack asked, skeptical.

"No. Maybe. Who knows? That's the point." Kunsel looked back at the mission board. "I just feel like something as big as the Wutai War is coming, and with Aerith being so mysterious, maybe she could be part of it, if not part of Wutai."

"You are way too into conspiracy theories, man," Zack snorted, shaking his head in amusement. "I know Aerith, and she isn't part of some big secret, trust me. She'd tell me, I know she can be abrasive, but she trusts me."

"That's just another mystery in itself," Kunsel muttered. "Why on earth she let you get under her skin like she has."

"What can I say, I'm just that charming," Zack grinned. Kunsel rolled his eyes within his helmet. "So, uh, where is she anyway?" Zack asked.

"Saw her head towards the elevators earlier when I was on 57, not sure where she'd have gone," Kunsel shrugged.

"Even better," Zack replied, heading to the elevators. "That means she's out of her room."

"Huh?" Kunsel followed him as Zack pushed the elevator button and waited for one to come. "Zack, you can't go in her room."

"Hey, I'm not being a pervert. Just gonna leave something in there for her," Zack said.

"No, I mean they won't let you. Her room is locked at all times by the security team," Kunsel explained.

"There's an intercom, I'll talk to them," Zack assured him, the elevator doors opening. Zack and Kunsel stepped inside and Zack pressed the button for the 57th floor. It only took a few seconds to descend the two floors before the doors opened again.

The 56th, 57th and 58th floors of the tower were reserved for the barracks of SOLDIER, the two floors under that in kind being reserved for the Security Department. The members of SOLDIER enjoyed relatively small but comfortable rooms, two members to a room with bunk beds, a personal shower, desks and lockers. The 56th floor was for the Thirds, the 57th for Seconds. 58th, which was restricted access, was for Firsts.

"Hey Zack, Kunsel," a Second said, lifting a hand in wave as they passed. Zack returned the gesture, thinking he didn't recognize the speaker though. He'd been to Aerith's room before, off the elevator, make a left, right down the far end hall, last door on the left. Even those who didn't know where to find Aerith's room by the designation knew of her door by sight. In addition to an intercom system to security and inside the room itself, it had a keypad lock with a ID card slot, and a security camera on the opposite wall kept watch on it at all times.

"Good luck," Kunsel said as Zack approached the intercom controls and pressed the button to call security.

_"What?" _a gruff voice replied.

"SOLDIER Second Class Zack Fair, requesting authorization to enter Second Class Aerith's room," Zack said formally.

_"Denied," _the voice replied.

"I just want to leave something for her," Zack said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small red box and holding it up so the camera behind him would see. A small folded piece of paper was taped to the top.

_"I said denied. The only people who are authorized to enter that room don't need me to buzz them," _the voice replied.

"Come on man, help a guy out with his girl," Zack pleaded. "I'm just trying to leave her a little present, you know the feeling right?" The intercom took a moment to track back to life.

_"Leave it by the door for her, no one'll take it,"_

"You'll watch and make sure, right?"

_"There's five guys watching 70 floors in here, kid, and you're in a SOLDIER barracks. No one's gonna take your little box and no one's gonna be watching it to see if they do. Leave it or hang onto it and give it to her later."_

"Alright, I'll trust you to make sure anyway," Zack said, setting the box on the handle of the door, making sure it rested comfortably. There'd be no way Aerith could miss it there.

_"If she gets in trouble for whatever's in that, it'll be your head too," _the voice warned.

"Nah, it's cool. Thanks," Zack turned to the camera and flashed a grin.

"Told you," Kunsel said as Zack walked away.

"No sweat, was worth a shot. And he was right, we're SOLDIERs, no one is gonna grab it," Zack shrugged.

"So what was that anyway?" Kunsel asked.

"Just a little something I found while I was out in Sector 6 the other day," Zack replied. "It's her one year anniversary of being promoted to Second tomorrow."

"So why not give it to her tomorrow?" Kunsel asked.

"Because then it wouldn't be a surprise," Zack said.

"I doubt she'd remember anyway."

The two SOLDIERs approached the elevator and stepped inside, the doors sliding shut. A few seconds later, the other elevator doors slid open.

_"Degrading bastard and his tests," _Aerith thought miserably, walking to her room. Hojo had sent her off with a warning that she'd better start improving her skills against the new randomized virtual Sephiroth, or any hopes she had to make First would go out the window. And Hojo, she had come to learn, didn't make idle threats. Aerith pulled her ID card from her door as she got closer. She needed to take a proper shower now to wash the feeling of slime off her skin. Hojo's touch always left a chill in her arm, even as momentary as it was to gather his samples.

Aerith slotted her ID card into the reader and keyed in her five-digit code. The light above the keypad flashed from red to green and she reached for the handle. Looking down at the unfamiliar bumping, she saw the small red box and picked it up with her other hand, pushing down the handle with the other and stepping inside. The door clicked shut behind her, two more clicks signaling it was locked behind her again, and Aerith sat down at her desk. She plucked the small folded paper taped to the top of the box off and unfolded it.

"…'Congratulations on a full year in Second. Look forward to a present next month to celebrate you making First'," she read. "Zack," she rolled her eyes at the signed name. As if there was any doubt who it could be from. She looked down at the box and snorted. "I've told him before, I don't wear jewelry," she said, folding the note back up and taping it where it had been before. Aerith reached up her hand to slide the small box onto the shelf over her desk where her books war, then stood and began to undress as she stepped towards the shower.

_"Well…at least the thought was nice," _she thought as she pulled her shirt over her head. She hadn't even paid attention to the specific dates to know that the one year mark was already here, she had thought it was a couple weeks more.

* * *

"Why is this damn thing taking so long to process?" Hojo thought aloud as his computer copied files to an external drive. "This thing gets slower every week." He made a mental note to send a request up to President Shinra for funding for new lab equipment. How did they expect him to make any progress when he spent his valuable time waiting for his outdated computers to do something as simple as a file transfer? He sipped his coffee and drummed his fingers on the desk impatiently.

There was a beeping behind him, and Hojo turned. Another computer had finished once of its tasks, four running simultaneously. Hojo slid his chair over and called up the window, pushing up his glasses with his free hand. A graph appeared and Hojo read off the data. His eyes widened slightly and he leaned in closer to read the graph again.

"…no…it can't be," he muttered. He called up the computer's calendar and checked the date . "So it is…" he gasped, his eyes lighting up. He flashed through the other programs, graphs and charts and streams of data still rendering. But, they had completed their tasks enough to confirm what the first said. The computer had finished cataloging and comparing all of the data taken from the last ten simulator trials Aerith had taken and correlated it with the stat of the genetic samples he had taken from her earlier. A mundane task done after every one of her examinations. But these numbers…

"Then it is…finally!" Hojo laughed. "A year late on the girl's part, but it's about time!" He stood and picked up the phone on his desk, pressing the button to dial out a pre-programmed number.

_"Lazard."_

"Director, Hojo," Hojo said, looking back at the computer screen. "I have new parameters concerning the handling of Sample 01-A."

_"She has a name, Professor. I know you use it," _Lazard answered dryly. Hojo scowled.

"Don't lecture me you twit, just listen! Under no circumstances, at all, is she to be let out on missions or assignments. Don't even let her outside the barracks floors and the training floors."

_"Those are largely our standing orders."_

"And the next time she enters the simulator, I want the staff there informed she is not to be allowed to begin the simulation until I am notified. I'll be expecting a live feed to the simulation during her usage of it for the next month, at least, and I want recordings taken and backed up. I don't care what exercises she runs, I want to know about it."

_"Something amiss, Professor?"_

"If it concerned you, I'd be telling you. Just relay the orders and make sure they follow them to the letter, or it'll be the President you answer to!"

_"Of course."_

Hojo hung up the phone and sat back down in his chair, reading the graph eagerly. They were just as he had expected. Actually, a bit higher than he had expected. Excellent. Hojo was always surprised by how pleased he could be when his experiments surpassed his predictions. The implants had finally begun to mature, right in time with their host. The ratings of Aerith's physical performance in the simulators had suddenly spiked in the last few times she had been in there. Even against the simulated Sephiroth he had pitted her against. A perfect coincidence of his insight and the date.

"Time for the next phase at last," he smiled. And to think he had written it off as a failure, almost forgotten about it aside from the monthly examinations. His eyes fell back on the calendar and he silently scolded himself for not watching the date more closely, even if it was a disappointment last year he should have been waiting this year just in case he had miscalculated. Tomorrow, the day she had been made Second. The irony of the perfect timing of it all was not lost on him.

_"Well, we learn more from our mistakes as our successes,"_ he thought. _"Happy sweet sixteen, Aerith. Now show me all this time wasted on you wasn't a waste after all."_

* * *

"Hey Aerith!" Aerith stepped out of the mission room – she liked looking at the list just to entertain which ones sounded good – and Zack call her. She looked at the direction it came from to see him waving her over towards the seating area of the floor. Angeal was with him. Scowling because she knew there was a lecture in the waiting somewhere, she walked over.

"What?" she muttered.

"Angeal was talking to me about the top Seconds they're looking at for First," Zack said.

"It's not a confirmation of impending promotion, but it does mean the best have been recognized and will be watched closely in the time to come to see if they have what it takes for First," Angeal elaborated.

"And guess who's in that list?" Zack grinned. "Yours truly, thank you very much."

"Work on your discipline and keep focused instead of goofing off so much, and you're a sure thing," Angeal said, smiling slightly.

"Good for you," Aerith replied, meaning it. "Put in a good word for me when you get to the top."

"I might not have to. Your name is there too," Zack said, his grin not fading.

"What?" Aerith said, surprised.

"We're supposed to keep quiet about that," Angeal muttered, annoyed. "It's very touchy as I'm sure you know Aerith. But yes. It's been brought up that you're one of the Seconds who may qualify for First. That's all I know, considering everything else I'm not sure what it really means, but know your name has at least been brought up in a serious capacity."

"Good," Aerith nodded, smiling.

"Told ya she could smile," Zack taunted Angeal. Angeal looked down to reply then an alarm sounded. Across the floor, everyone stopped as red lights began to flash and sirens blared.

"What's going on?" Aerith asked.

"Emergency!" Angeal shouted, any traces of joking gone. "All SOLDIERs to the deployment level now! Do not go to your barracks for equipment, weapons and Materia will be made available on the trains! Non-combat personal, secure yourselves in the simulation and Materia fusion rooms and lockdown the doors until further instructions are given!" The people rushed to obey Angeal's orders.

"What is it?" Zack asked.

"That's the emergency siren, you've never heard it because they almost never use it. So when they do, it's big," Angeal said sternly. "Zack, go. Deployment level. I have to sweep the floors and make sure everyone knows where they belong."

"Gotcha," Zack nodded, running to the elevators.

"Aerith, you too," Angeal ordered. Aerith spun around.

"Me?"

"An emergency like this isn't to be taken lightly, they're going to need a fast, efficient response, and Sephiroth and Genesis are still in Kalm. You're needed," Angeal explained.

"I can't. I don't have authorization for missions or assignments," Aerith reminded.

"This isn't a mission or assignment, is it? I'll vouch for ordering you to go personally if you're questioned, I'm pulling rank as far as you're concerned and I don't see anyone higher than me telling you otherwise. Now go! Deployment level, orders will be given on the train once you've boarded. Follow Zack, he's been down there before."

"Yes sir," Aerith nodded, breaking into a smirk before she turned to run after Zack.

_"Finally…"_ she thought, her heart thudding in her ears. A loophole, a way to slip past Shinra's detection. Whatever emergency it was, she was needed. No Sephiroth or Genesis to steal glory. Sure Angeal would probably get credit for rallying the troops, but he was one man. This was the chance she had been waiting for. Whatever was happening, there would be fighting. And she would make sure she was on the front lines, making sure the people in power knew she was there, knew she was fighting, and saw she was good at it. Saw her full potential in action. Saw that she was a First.

_ "The opportunity I've been waiting to drop in my lap for a year has shown up," _she cheered in her head as she stepped into the emergency elevator to stand beside Zack with three other SOLDIERs. The elevator doors closed and it dropped quickly to the deployment level beneath the tower. The deployment level. Where the subway trains stretched out to the outskirts of Midgar including an airport. Wherever they were going, it was outside the city.

_"I hope they all get a good look," _she thought, clutching the collapsible staff hanging from her belt. _"Because they're going to get a hell of a show."_


	5. Chapter 5

Mother's Legacy

Chapter 5

* * *

The elevator doors opened and Aerith stepped out and stopped, overwhelmed at the side. "Deployment level" was a massive subway station deep below the Shinra building. Several train tracks spread out into darkened tunnels, the train platforms stocked with trains. The elevators opened on a platform over a wide staircase leading down to the large platforms.

"Yeah, the first time is impressive," Zack said, coming up behind her as the other SOLDIERs in the elevator descended the stairs.

"On these main trains, everyone! Whoever doesn't get on is left behind to wait for the second trip!" A First was shouting orders down on the platform, and Aerith regained her focus as she heard him. Grabbing Zack's hand she ran down the stairs past the others and looked between two trains that were being loaded up.

"Does it matter?" she asked.

"Nope," Zack shrugged. Aerith nodded and climbed into one. The train consisted of four cars, one of which looked different from the rest and was at the front of the train, followed by the engine. The inside of the car was a row of seats along both walls, straps to hold the riders in place laying against the seat backs. Aerith sat down in one and pulled the straps over her shoulders, clipping them together over her waist. Zack sat down behind her and followed suit.

"Excited?" he asked, looking over at her. Aerith nodded. She hoped her grin wasn't showing on her face too much. She'd get in trouble with someone if it was seen she was happy to be sent into an emergency, but she was. Finally she could get some real combat experience and put her skills to a real test.

"We have room for four more on this one, then send her off!" a voice called from outside the car. Four more SOLDIERs – two Thirds in teal uniforms, a Third in blue, and a Second in red – loaded into the car, and the door was slid shut from the outside. Aerith made a slight face as one of the teal Thirds sat down in the empty seat on the other side of her. She cast a slight glance over at him to see his helmet in his lap and his hands fumbling slightly with the straps. She rolled her eyes and turned them back forward. Rookie.

The train jerked slightly, and the Third lurched forward, his helmet falling on the car floor. The train began to grind down the rails, the car shaking, and the Third stayed hunched over. Zack looked down and picked up the helmet, extending his hand over Aerith's lap.

"Thanks," the Third said, taking it from him and holding it with one hand to hang between his legs.

"So what's going on anyway?" Aerith asked, turning to Zack. "When do we get a briefing?"

"Normally before we get on, but this is different," he said. Aerith nodded and leaned her head back and closed her eyes. She was nervous, anxious. Not only was it her first time in the field, but no one was quite sure what was going on. She tried to calm herself, took a few deep breaths. They didn't help. Her senses were on alert and would not be quelled.

"Everyone quiet!" Aerith opened her eyes and turned to the front of the car to see a First standing there. "Director Lazard is being patched through to the PA system to give us a briefing!" As he spoke the speakers in the train crackled, and soon the slightly distorted voice of the director filled the car.

"…_at this time we do not know the identity of the assailants, but they are well-armed and well-organized. The attack has been swift and was done during a brief lapse in security during a guard turnaround, so they have planned this well in advance and can be assumed to be prepared for a response. Armaments are firearms and hand to hand weaponry, close-quarters combat is recommended."_

"Good," Aerith whispered to herself, her eyes bright.

"_We believe their target is President Shinra, who was at the city to christen the newly completed mako cannon built over the harbor. He was accompanied by the Turks, and while our radio communications with them have been cut, we are acting as though he is still alive and in their protection. Of the two trains that have been deployed, Track A is to contain the attackers and push them out of the city. Track B's task is to secure the president and get him to the helipad so he can be taken to safety."_

"Which one are we?" Aerith asked, leaning towards Zack.

"B, I think," he replied. Aerith couldn't help but grin. A rescue operation, to save the President himself. She couldn't have planned anything better short of Sephiroth being incapacitated with him.

"He said mako cannon, that's Junon," Zack whispered back.

"I've heard of it," Aerith nodded. The massive harbor was Shinra's secondary base of operations, and held access to the harbor that let them send forces around the world. The mako cannon however was a show of arrogance. No one who would dare challenge Shinra would need a weapon like that to be defeated, and if they did then they would know better and go for Midgar where no such superweapon was planned.

"_We do not have time to assign commanding officers, so in doubt defer to any SOLDIER of higher rank, or rely on your own judgment. At all times, the priority is to get the President to safety, disregard all else until he is clear of the city. We believe he is at the Presidential residence atop the mako cannon, but we cannot be sure. Search everywhere. Good luck, SOLDIER." _Lazard's voice and the crackling died down, and Aerith took a deep breath. There was a sound of sliding metal as two Firsts near the back of the train slid up two steel doors to reveal two pull-out ranks lined with standard-issue SOLDIER blades. They began passing them down the line of sitting troops. The Third next to Aerith passed one to her, which she quickly moved on to Zack. She had her staff, that was enough.

"Pass the blades down to the next person, if they already have one, that blade is yours," the First from before announced. He was now walking down the aisle with an open case held with both hands. "Take whatever Materia you deem suitable," he lowered the case down, and as he passed by hands reached into the case and withdrew the glowing yellow and green orbs inside. Aerith ran through her head what Lazard had said.

_"Close and long-range weapons, fighting in melee with ranged supporters," _she recited. _"And protecting the President…Barrier." _The First reached her and Aerith reached into the case. She ghosted her fingertips over the orbs as she had been taunt, the tingling of energy identifying them to the trained combatant, and pulled out a Barrier Materia. She reached to her armband and pulled back the spring-loaded covering that concealed one of three Materia slots with her middle finger, and let the Barrier Materia fall into place and be covered as she let go of the cover.

"What'd you take?" Zack asked. The Third next to Aerith passed her a sword and she handed it over to Zack.

"Barrier. You?"

"Seal and Fire. Incapacitate and attack," he smiled, pressing the two hatches on the hilt of his sword that formed the two halves of the SOLDIER logo. The spring-loaded lids popped up and Zack pressed the two light green orbs in before pushing the lids back down.

"I want you with me," Aerith said. Zack looked up at her and grinned.

"Really now?" he asked.

"During the mission," Aerith continued, unfazed and partially expecting that reaction. "You know the city, and you've got field experience."

"Gotcha, if you need help, I'm your guy," Zack nodded. Aerith looked down at her armband and the slight green glow coming from it now. Having Zack with her was helping, he was used to this type of situation, more than her anyway. The train hit a bump, and the Third next to her fell to the side and put a hand on her knee to catch himself from falling into her lap. Aerith gave him an annoyed look as he looked up at her, embarrassed.

"Sorry," he mumbled, sitting upright.

"You okay? You don't look good," Zack asked. Aerith noted he was right, the Third's face was green and he was hunched over his helmet.

"I'm not good with trains…" the Third grumbled. "Or…any vehicle, really. I'll be fine when we get there."

"Nervous?" Zack prompted.

"First mission outside the city," the Third nodded.

"Relax, you'll be fine," Zack smiled. "I'm Zack. The cute one in between us who doesn't talk much is Aerith," Aerith snorted. The Third turned his head and smiled back.

"I'm Cloud," he replied.

"Well, Cloud, don't get used to the friendly treatment, when we get to the city, you're on your own," Aerith said. "Zack and I are trained to fight alongside each other, you'd just get in the way."

"I know," Cloud nodded. "You two are some of the most famous SOLDIERs in the ranks, the Thirds talk about you two a lot. I know how it works."

"Really? They talk about us?" Aerith asked, her interest perked.

"Yeah, they say you two are some of the best in Second. One of our instructors said that once you got promoted to First, you'd probably only be second in power to Sephiroth."

Aerith's hand suddenly clenched on her lap, and her eyes narrowed. Zack noticed and shook his head.

"Free tip Cloud – don't mention the "S" word around her," he warned.

"I don't mean it as an insult," Cloud protested. "But, he's Sephiroth, the Hero of Wutai, the strongest SOLDIER alive. Being second to him shouldn't be seen as a bad thing."

"On the trip back, we're switching seats," Aerith muttered, turning her eyes towards Zack. The train began to slow, and the First who had been giving orders before stood up at the front of the car.

"Remember, our priority is to locate President Shinra and get him to the helipad. All else is secondary to this objective!" He shouted. "SOLDIER, let's move!" The trained halted and the doors slid open, Aerith already unbuckled and standing up.

"Hurry up," she tossed back at Zack. The SOLDIER members filed out of the train onto another underground platform, smaller than the one at Midgar. Three elevators were at the end of the platform, and Aerith hurried to make sure she was on one. She pushed past two Seconds and looked over her shoulder and see Zack coming up behind her. She made it into an elevator, Zack and one of the two Seconds she had passed pushing in to fill it.

"You sure you're ready?" Zack whispered to her as the elevator doors slid closed and it began to ascend into the main city.

_"No," _Aerith thought. What she said aloud was "As ready as I'll ever be."

The elevator stopped, and the doors opened. Aerith emerged and looked around. Junon was a apparently long, linear street composed of a line of tall buildings on one side and a sheer drop on the other. Two cars, smoking from flames and one overturned on its side, blocked the street. The sounds of gunfire and clashing steel came from beyond them, and Aerith licked her lips.

"The city was built into a cliff, so it's a bunch of stepped streets. There's lifts and stairs along the length," Zack said, moving up beside her. The other SOLDIERs from the elevator began to move forward, a few with rifles taking up position behind one of the cars while the others leapt over.

"Know where the mako cannon is?" Aerith asked. Zack pointed and Aerith looked to the side to see a gigantic steel cannon emerging over the ocean below.

"Its mechanism spans the entire height, but the controls and Presidential residence are on the second-highest level," he said. "There's a staircase to the next level under the mechanism support, it should be a ways ahead."

"Then that's where we're going," Aerith nodded, running forward. She grabbed her staff from her belt and unfolded it with a metallic rush of wind, Zack following her with sword in hand. Aerith jumped onto the hood of the car in the street and leapt forward, the smoke clearing to reveal the battle scene.

Shinra security troops lay dead and wounded in the street. SOLDIER members and a few remaining security troops were engaging enemy forces in light brown uniforms with hoods and goggles. Most were wielding swords, but several, as reported, were hanging back and proving support fire with two-handed rifles.

Aerith spun her staff out to slam it into the back of an enemy troop's head and moved forward, attacking only those in her way as her eyes scanned for what Zack had meant. She saw the shadow of the cannon up ahead and picked up the pace. Two of the riflemen turned their aim towards her and she raised her hand, a light green barrier projecting from her gauntlet. The bullets bounced off harmlessly, the Barrier holding strong as Aerith reached them and swung her staff up to knock the guns out of their hands. The other gunmen on the other side of the road turned towards her, when Zack jumped forward, slicing his sword through the air to cleave their rifles in two.

"Thanks," Aerith called, spinning her staff round to slam into the shoulders of one rifleman and pitch him face-first into the ground. His friend drew a sword from his belt and swung, Aerith caught it and flipped his arm up, lifting a foot and landing a kick in his stomach to knock him back. Behind her Zack grabbed the collar of one of the attackers and flipped him backwards spinning through the air, then turned to dodge a punch from the other and slammed the hilt of his sword into the back of his neck, dropping him to the asphalt.

"They're not so tough," Zack muttered, moving his sword to his back.

"Yeah. Too bad. Was looking for a challenge," Aerith replied.

"We should move them to the side, they'll want a few alive for interrogation," Zack said.

"We don't have time," Aerith looked to the side and spotted two Thirds being backed up as an attacker with a sword was spinning to fend off both of them. Aerith ran between the two, cause his arm and flipped him through the air, his sword falling from his grasp. She slammed her staff into his head and turned to the two.

"You two, get these four out of the way and keep an eye on them, they're prisoners," Zack ordered, pointing to an alleyway. "Make sure they don't escape and aren't killed." The Thirds saluted.

"Yes sir!" they replied in unison, moving to the fallen gunmen.

"Fancy ourselves a commander?" Aerith asked.

"Just going by the book," Zack shrugged. "The stairs are here, come on." He ran towards a metal door under the shadow of the mako cannon structure and pressed his hand to a pad next to it. The door slid open to reveal a metal staircase within the support structure. The two ran up emerged on the next level. Here, there were still security forces alive and fighting. A blockade had been set up from a dumpster and two of them were firing while the others sheltered in an alleyway or behind the support structure.

"SOLDIER is here!" one of the troops called, a red scarf around his next. A few of his men turned to him as he ran up to Zack and saluted.

"You're the first security personal we've met alive, what's the situation?" Zack asked, Aerith noting he had slipped back into the same authoritative voice he had used with the Thirds.

"The President is in the residence above the cannon, but we can't get to him, the elevator the cannon controls is past this point, its security locked so they can't access it, but they're keeping us pinned down, we don't have the means to push them back," the leader recited. "I know the code, if we can get there."

"Where did they come from? Know who they are?" Aerith asked.

"Unknown ma'am, they're organized and well-trained but they're not of any group I recognize. There's an emblem on the armor of what appear to be higher ranking members in red uniforms, a skull with an "A" marking", but we don't know its source. A few appear to be using Wutai halberd-type firearms though, so they may be an insurgent group. They came from the slums below, somehow they got access to the elevator and moved into the city en masse."

"Do they know the President's location?" Zack said.

"Unknown, but once we get to the elevator we can hold our position there and fortify ourselves against further attacks."

"Alright, gather your best hand-to-hand fighters, we're going to push out, get the gunners to move up behind us. If we can push out of the cannon infrastructure with the element of surprise and get up to the first shops, we can begin moving through the alleyways and sneak behind them," he said, looking down the street. Aerith followed his gaze. The attackers had made their own blockade out of two cars and were pinning down the security forces with several gunners. Behind them, inactive, were what she assumed were hand to hand fighters. She did a quick mental tally.

"Too much work," she announced. "I'll take care of it."

"What?" Zack gasped as Aerith rotated her shoulders. "Aerith, no! We can't rush in against that many without a plan of attack."

"I have a plan of attack – doing it," she replied. "Just keep them busy from this end." With that she ran forward, arm raised and Barrier Materia glowing. A hail of gunfire turned on her and bounced off the Barrier. Behind her she heard Zack shout an order and footsteps as the security personal pushed forward. Aerith reached the line of enemy soldiers and lashed out her staff, knocking one in the head and pitching him to the side, and spun to jab the end of her staff in the stomach of another. She focused further on the Barrier and it projected larger, covering her from head to toe. Two of the soldiers that had been standing back rushed her with drawn swords. As the security leader had noted before, they were in red uniforms and had a white skull with a red "A" emblazoned on the armor covering their shoulders.

"Down with Shinra!" one of them roared, slashing. Aerith dodged and knocked the sword aside, spinning her staff with the momentum to block the second's blow. There was a flash out of the corner of Aerith's eye, and she turned her eyes towards the source. A third red-uniformed soldier standing in the shelter of an alleyway was raising a hand, a green aura glowing over his gauntlet as sparks of electricity ran over the rim. Her eyes widened – she knew what that aura was.

_"Oh no."_

A blast of lightning shot out of the troop's hand, and Aerith pushed herself backwards, the Thunder spell missing her as she fell onto her back.

_"They've got Materia!?" _she seethed silently. Gunfire was one thing, magic was another. She wouldn't have charged in like this if she had known that. Too late to change her mind, and can't run away in front of an audience. The game had just changed then, that was all, she could handle this.

Aerith swept the legs of the two she had been fighting and ran towards the magic-user. Her raised his hand and fired another lightning bolt at her. Aerith raised her arm and projected a Barrier, it didn't work as well against magic but it was better than being exposed. The shield took the full force of the Thunder blast and shattered into wisps of energy, but it bought Aerith the time she needed. She reached the target and grabbed his collar, flipping him through the air to slam him into the ground. She looked up to see her two forgotten opponents running down the street, and wondered why. She quickly scanned the area, noticing that the others were falling back as well, the force of Zack and the security troops had broken through. Aerith smiled. She had done it after all – she had lead the charge and pushed the enemy back to a second blockade, as long as they could keep the momentum up before they took up proper positions, then–

"Blow them!" one of the retreaters called. Aerith heard a beep and spun around. Two pairs of small block boxes were strapped to the sides of the cars that had formed the blockade they were using for cover. Small red lights on them blinked green and began to flash.

The two cars exploded, and Aerith raised her hand in time to project a Barrier. The explosion hit the shield and crushed it in the same moment, throwing Aerith back through the air and into the alley. She hit the wall and fell forward, heat singeing her face.

"Aerith!"

"_Zack…" _Aerith thought, recognizing his voice through the confusion. At least he hadn't been near them. She pushed herself to her feet, her arm ached but she ignored it, it was her off-hand anyway, and walked to the edge of the alley. Several security troops lay dead in the street, large billowing black smoke rising from the flaming husks of the two cars. Bullets whizzed through the air from the right where the retreaters had moved back, the smoke would obscure aim from both sides, but the invaders had the advantage of numbers, more now than ever, and there may have been more Materia users.

"_Gotta get out of here," _Aerith thought. She raised her arm to project a Barrier, but the green glow on her gauntlet was gone. She cursed – she had drained its power. Aerith steeled herself and began to move into the street, but a wave of bullets tore into the brick on the opposite wall and she shrank back.

"The SOLDIER bitch is cornered, keep her pinned and move in!" someone shouted. Aerith cursed again, her chest heaving. Powered, weak, hurt, shot dead in an alley waiting for her killers to reach her. On her first outing, her first mission. And all she had to show for her recklessness was a group of dead soldiers.

"_I can't die…not like this," _she thought to herself. The gunfire on the opposite wall was keeping her pressed against the wall to stay as much out of sight as she could, but she could hear the footsteps of the approaching troops, pouncing in her ears. Her staff slipped from her grasp to lean against the wall.

"_I wanted to prove myself…wanted to prove I could fight," _she thought, clenching her eyes shut. Her hands shook, sweat rolled down her cheek. _"This is it…this is the time, my chance, my one chance," _she insisted mentally, gritting her teeth as her panting grew faster. Green sparks crackled along her hand, wisps of green energy floating from her fingertips. Aerith opened her eyes, her panting ceased, and she and took hold of her staff. The weapon lit up in a green aura for a moment, then subsided along with the energy coursing in her hand.

"_Seize it."_

Aerith took a breath and spun out of the alley, raising her hand. Bullets fired at her and she raised her arm. The Barrier Materia lit up bright green as a shining white barrier rippled over her, the bullets deflected. Aerith held her staff out behind her, spinning it between her fingertips. Glowing red and orange orbs of light began to appear around the tip, leaving a trail in the air and growing larger. The three gunners advancing on her hesitated at the sight.

"Crimson…" Aerith whispered, stopping the spin as a large red fireball formed at the end of her staff. Her eyes flashed bright green. "_Flare!_" Aerith swung her staff up to point it forward, and the fireball launched forward. The three gunners dove aside as it shot past them and impacted the car the rest were using as a barricade. Green energy surged over its exterior for a moment before it exploded, the gunners behind it screaming as they were flown backwards, if they spoke at all. The second car of gunners turned their fire on her, and Aerith drew her hand over her shoulder to point the other end of her staff at them, a second fireball growing and shooting forward in an instant. They ran as the second car exploded as well.

The gunfire halted, the security troops poured out of the smoke-billowing cars behind Aerith. She lowered her hands to her sides, stunned.

"_What…was that?"_

"Hey!" Aerith turned her head, still confused, as Zack looked at her angrily.

"You told me to stick with you," he said, punching her gently on the arm. "Next time, you return the favor, got it?"

"…Right," Aerith said, nodding her head. "I didn't know they had Materia. Sorry."

"You were reckless, irresponsible and stubborn," Zack muttered, shaking his head. "But…you're alive."

"Yeah, for now," Aerith replied. Desperate for something to clear the air and make her feel like herself again, she added sarcastically "thanks Angeal."

"How'd you blast the cars, we couldn't see clearly," Zack asked. Aerith looked at them, the numerical advantage was reversed and the security troops were pushing back the enemy.

"…a Fire spell," she settled on, unsure of what else she could say for sure.

"Thought you only took Barrier."

"Slipped it when he was on the way back, you weren't watching," Aerith lied. Zack nodded.

"Good thing. You did what you said, anyway, you pushed us through. Be proud. It's the glory you wanted, right?"

"Right," Aerith agreed. _"But…what was that power?" _Zack ran down the street and Aerith looked down at her staff. _"Those words I called…I've never heard them before…"_ She pushed her uncertainty away and steeled herself. "Forget it, not important," she said aloud. "Not now, can figure it out later. The mission." She ran after Zack as the security troops took up positions outside the large steel elevator door at the end of the street. The head of the troops was punching in an access code on a keypad to the right. It beeped several times and the doors slid open, revealing a large black platform in the shaft, a control console rising from the other side.

"Half of you with us, there might be some up top," Zack ordered. "You stay here and coordinate them, if more come and there's too many, retreat to the top, we can hold them easier with the elevator as a bottleneck."

"Yes sir. Good luck," the leader said, saluting. Aerith, Zack and the ordered security forces entered the elevator, and Zack walked to the console. He pressed a few buttons and the platform began to rise. Aerith looked up to see the dark, distant ceiling of the shaft begin growing closer.

"Nervous? You're gonna be protecting the President," Zack said, looking over at her.

"Nope. Because he's gonna see just how good I am," Aerith replied. The elevator rose for several more moments before grinding to a halt, the twin doors sliding open. The troops filtered out and Aerith looked around. The path in either direction was a wide steel catwalk now.

"It's the Shinra!" Aerith turned to see one enemy troop looking down from a staircase down one path, and he turned to wave his hand forward.

"They're up here too," she growled.

"You men, clear the path to the helipad," Zack said. "Aerith. Let's find the President." Aerith nodded with a wide smile, and the two took off at a run down the other direction as the security troops opened fire on a handful of attackers from the other. The wide steel catwalk ended at a railing overlooking a sloped series of tracks running down the edges of the city below, a large trolley car with the Shinra logo at the top. Aerith practically jumped on the steel stairwell leading up to the steel building at the top end of the tracks, taking the steps two at a time.

"About time!" Aerith looked up to see a red-haired man in a black suit watching them, his arms crossed. "They must not being paying SOLDIER that much anymore, that the response is this slow."

"Reno, is the President alright?" Zack asked as they continued climbing.

"He's fine, Rude and I kept him hidden. Kept the doors sealed, windows closed, mouths shut," Reno nodded. Another Turk with a shaved head and sunglasses stepped out the door. Aerith recognized him from a lone time she had met him speaking with Tseng, Rude.

"Are we ready to move him?" he asked.

"Security forces are clearing the path to the helipad now, we think they may send reinforcements down the path we took though, so we can't dally," Zack nodded. Rude nodded and turned his head.

"Mr. President, SOLDIER has arrived, we're moving," he said sternly. Aerith stooped and took a breath. A talk man in a dark red suit with short blond hair and a matching style mustache stepped out behind Rude. He looked annoyed and frazzled, but there was still an air of authority.

"What has been the cause of the delay? Drills are run for this sort of situation," he said gruffly.

"Sir, SOLDIER Second Class Aerith," Aerith said, saluting and speaking before someone else could. "The enemy was better organized and better equipped than we expected, sir. They even had Materia users in their numbers, and explosive devices."

"Really? And SOLDIER is scared off by a few Materia shards and grenades?" President Shinra muttered. "Better late than never. Let's go," Aerith nodded. She hadn't expected the President to be in the best of moods considering an army was moving through the city to kill him, but she had expected _some_ show of gratitude.

"Don't let it get to you," Zack whispered over his shoulder as they turned back around. "He'll remember your name, trust me." Aerith nodded and the five began moving down the stairs to the catwalk. As they ran down and neared the fork at the elevator, Aerith noticed more security troops positioned on the elevator than had accompanied them.

"Sir," the troop leader approached Zack. "The enemy has routed us, we overheard talk that confirms they know the President's…" he stopped at he noticed President Shinra behind him and saluted. "President Shinra sir!" President Shinra ignored him.

"They know he's here," Zack finished. The leader nodded. "Is the route to the helipad clear?"

"Entirely sir, all enemy combatants are neutralized in this region."

"Then just hold the elevator until we can get the President there," Zack said. The five continued moving forward and hurried down the opposite catwalk. Aerith and Zack stopped and turned while the Turks and President Shinra continued forward. The elevator doors had opened and the battle had begun. There was a loud shout from them, and Aerith saw a man with shaggy dark brown hair in a dark green bandana and wearing a pale brown and grey uniform jump through the air to slam a fist into one of the troop's heads, knocking him to the ground. He looked towards Zack and Aerith and growled.

"Get the fuckin' President!" he roared, pointing. Aerith looked back to see Reno and Rude taking up positions to conceal the President's body ahead of them, moving swiftly. The man who had given the order before moved towards them.

"Go, stay with them," Zack said, drawing his sword. Aerith nodded and ran after Reno and Rude as the man aimed a punch at Zack, Zack jumping backwards to avoid it.

"Damn Shinra," the man hissed, cracking his knuckles. Behind Zack, Reno and Rude moved the President up the stairs to another catwalk, more narrow and leading to a large asphalt airway. At the end Aerith could see several aircraft parked, including a helicopter.

"We did it," she whispered, proud of herself. Reno, Rude and President Shinra reached the asphalt and broke into a run again. Aerith reached the runway some distance behind them, and looked up as she saw movement. She halted as a figure landed in a crouch in front of her, leapt off one of the two control towers on either side of the path. Ahead, Reno and Rude stopped to look back.

"Outta the way," Aerith snapped, gripping her staff. The figure rose, revealing herself in full. She had medium-length red-auburn and wore a green uniform with blue straps and a grey cape.

"We only want the President, and we're not here to kill him," the woman said sternly. "Do not interfere." She turned towards Reno and Rude and reached over her shoulder to grab the hilt of a sword.

"I don't think so," Aerith smirked. The woman drew a katana, holding it out to the side.

"One warning. Back off or perish," the woman warned, looking over her shoulder.

"Then you'd better take it," Aerith replied. The woman snorted, and Aerith charged. The woman spun as Aerith swung her staff, spinning it around to knock the woman's arm around. To her surprise though the woman was already on the attack again, sliding her arm down to bring her katana's blade into open air and slicing at Aerith's knees. Aerith jumped back as the woman advanced, swinging her katana. Aerith narrowly blocked it, but her attempts to deflect the blade were again met with failure as the woman moved faster than she could react.

"_Shit, she's fast," _Aerith thought as the two fought. She was holding her off easily enough, but she couldn't get in a strike of her own, the woman always blocked her or attacked too quickly and forced her to defend. And she was strong, her staff was ringing with the repeated impact of steel on steel. Aerith blocked another strike, and the woman flicked her wrist to twist the staff aside and cut into Aerith's arm. Aerith cried out and stumbled back, but the woman gave no reprieve. She struck around, and this time as Aerith raised her staff to deflect it, she grabbed the woman's wrist to pull her forward into a knee to the stomach. The woman grunted and doubled over, caught off guard, and swung her blade wide through the air. Aerith jumped back to avoid getting cut again, and the woman stood up.

"You can't win this," she said coldly. Aerith looked over the woman's shoulder and smirked.

"Didn't have to," she replied. The woman's eyes widened and she turned her head to see the helicopter lift off, Reno at the controls. She narrowed her eyes again as the helicopter flew away to the north, and turned back to Aerith.

"Looks like you lose," Aerith snickered. "And no matter how many troops you have, you know there's more than enough in SOLDIER to beat them back."

"Here, yes. This is not our full arm," the woman replied. "Today was a statement."

"Oh?" Aerith prompted. The woman looked down at Aerith's staff.

"What is your name?" she asked suddenly.

"Aerith. And you?" Aerith asked sarcastically.

"Elfé," the woman said. "Tell me Aerith. Why do you hate the sword?"

"What?" Aerith muttered.

"You wield the staff over the sword. Why?"

"None of your concern," Aerith replied.

"You do not fight to kill, you fight for glory. You wield the staff because it does not draw blood, but it does take arguably more skill to use than a blade," Elfé stated.

"Believe what you like. It doesn't change the fact this staff held off your blade long enough," Aerith snapped.

"Today, yes. But we will strike again. Shinra will pay for what they've done."

"Wutai? You lost, get over it."

"We do not fight for just Wutai," Elfé whispered. "We fight for every town, every person, every living creature that Shinra is killing in their pursuit of power. They kill others so they can expand their grasp as they squeeze to kill the planet. The cycle of killing will end with their downfall. We are here to save the planet, and we have agents and supporters in every city on it. Shinra's reign is coming to an end." Aerith blinked, surprised by the words. Save the planet?

"Who are you people?" she asked.

"We're Shinra's reckoning. We are Gaia's vengeance," Elfé answered. "We are AVALANCHE. And make sure you tell your president the word, because he'll be hearing it again." With that, Elfé ran forward. Aerith readied herself to block an attack, but Elfé instead ran past her to leap over the catwalk at the edge of the runway. Aerith ran up to them and looked down, but Elfé had vanished into a mess of steel structuring. She lifted her head to look over at the elevator landing where more SOLDIER members had arrived, and a familiar head of spiked black hair was among them as they saw to the surviving but incapacitated members of the enemy force.

"AVALANCHE…"


	6. Chapter 6

Mother's Legacy

Chapter 6

* * *

_"AVALANCHE…" _Aerith thought, staring out the window at the city below. Elfé's words still ran through her head over and over. 'Gaia's vengeance', a group here to stop Shinra from killing the planet. What was that even supposed to mean? Aerith had heard of a lot of rebel groups, most of them small, but this was different. There had never been an attack of this scale before on a major Shinra base of power. This probably meant the start of another war. Aerith felt like she should have been excited – war meant casualties, chances for promotion to fill the void – but she couldn't shake Elfé from her mind. She had never been outmatched in combat before, not outside of Sephiroth, Genesis and Angeal, maybe some of the other Firsts but she hadn't sparred with many. How could a seemingly normal woman have had that level of speed and power?

It was the day after the attack. The AVALANCHE forces had retreated soon after Aerith's encounter with Elfé, presumably realizing their mission had failed. Many had been taken prisoner and were awaiting interrogation, Aerith didn't care to think about what would become of them. There had been a lot of bodies in the streets as SOLDIER had filed out back to the trains, many of them AVALANCHE soldiers, almost as many were Shinra forces, and a handful were SOLDIER, largely Thirds. Shinra had won the day by getting the President to safety and repelling the attack, but the losses on both sides were heavy. Elfé had said the attack was about making a statement. Aerith assumed from the aftermath that it had been received – Shinra was victorious, but not unscarred.

"Aerith!" Aerith turned to see Zack walking up to her. A concerned look crossed her face.

"What happened to you?" she asked. A large black and blue bruise covered the left side of Zack's face near the temple, a curved cut running down the center, and his right arm was bandaged around the elbow. Aerith had lost Zack in the confusion of return the previous day, and on official orders had been sequestered in her room when she returned. She was almost grateful she hadn't seen the wound when it was fresh.

"That guy in the bandana I fought, he was tougher than the rest of them. Some sort of lieutenant, didn't use any weapons but he had a pretty mean swing," Zack said. He lifted a hand to gingerly touch the bruise on his face. "Knocked me through the air into a support beam."

"Ouch," Aerith muttered.

"Don't worry about it, a week tops and I'll be back to my old handsome self," Zack grinned. Aerith rolled her eyes but was secretly glad he made the joke, it meant he wasn't too badly hurt. "You look alright," Zack noted.

"Looks it," Aerith said, reached to her left arm and rolling up the sleeve to show the bright red scab from where Elfé had gotten her. Slightly brighter red thread showed a matching cut on the sleeve where she had sewn it up the previous day in her room. "Not as bad as you of course."

"Who gave you that?"

"Called herself Elfé. Had a katana, good with it too. Moved too fast for me to catch her and I slipped up."

"Too fast? For you?" Zack repeated. "You're kidding."

"Nope," Aerith shook her head. "She had a lot more power and agility than a normal person, not sure why…" she thought for a moment and came up with a momentary theory. "Hey, SOLDIERs go rogue sometimes, right?"

"Rarely, but yeah. They don't last though," Zack said, looking uncomfortable. "Shinra doesn't like loose ends around here. And besides, if there was another female SOLDIER, you'd probably have heard about her by now."

"Good point," Aerith replied. The loose ends comment was true, but Shinra might have had one anyway, or even several. There was another matter that was bothering her. "Has Sephiroth come back yet?" she asked Zack.

"Um, yeah, why?" Zack replied, confused. "I thought you hated him."

"I do," Aerith shrugged. "But I might need to talk to him."

"Good luck, word is he came back, shut himself up in his private quarters and hasn't come out or let anyone in."

"What happen, he chip his sword and now he's pouting?" Aerith sneered. Secretly she was worried, Sephiroth was sequestering himself? That wasn't like him. He may have kept to himself but when he wasn't on assignment he was a frequent sight among the training areas. Zack moved past Aerith and sat down on one of the chairs in front of the window.

"Rumor from Kunsel is that it's about how he came back – alone," Zack said.

"Alone?"

"Genesis hasn't returned yet," Zack clarified. Alarm bells went off in Aerith's head.

"Why not?"

"No one knows, not even sure if it's true. But no one has seen him around, Sephiroth at least was sighted in the lobby on the way to the elevators. Genesis, nothing. As far as we know he's still in Kalm."

"Maybe," Aerith thought, "or maybe he got taken out."

"Genesis, taken out?" Zack asked, skeptical. "No way. What could do that?"

"Elfé. Maybe," Aerith suggested. "AVALANCHE did just happen to attack while Sephiroth and Genesis were away. Could have been a trap, catch us while they were gone, or catch them while the company would be unable to answer distress calls. Elfé said the attack on Junon was a statement, can you think of a better statement than killing one of Shinra's favorite poster boys?"

"No," Zack admitted. "But it wouldn't be easy, either. I know you said she's strong, Aerith, but _that_ strong?"

"Could be. Either way, it's a nice coincidence." The thought had been bothering Aerith all day. AVALANCHE just happened to attack on the same day President Shinra is visiting? During a period of time when Sephiroth and Genesis were away on assignment? It smelled like a set-up. The company could have a traitor, and if it did it had to be someone high-up to know the President's travel plans and to get Sephiroth and Genesis out of the way.

"I don't know. I think you're overthinking this," Zack said.

"I know I am. Can't help it," Aerith shrugged. Zack turned his head as he noticed someone approaching them, and Aerith turned around.

"SOLDIER Second Class Aerith," an unnamed First said. Aerith nodded. "Come with me," he ordered, turning and walking to the elevators. Aerith looked back at Zack.

"Maybe they want to debrief you, they did it with me while I was getting patched up," he suggested.

"No," Aerith muttered. "They want to discipline me for disobeying orders." She followed the First, who was silent as he boarded the elevator and waited for her to step beside him before pressing the button for the 69th floor.

"69th floor?" Aerith asked, nervous. She'd never been there, or even heard of it. "Is that Director Lazard's office, right?"

"I'm not at liberties to say, Aerith," the First said. Aerith looked at him, wondering if she knew him somehow, but she had never much paid attention to many of her fellow SOLDIERs aside from the handful she considered friends or rivals. This one didn't ring a bell – long brown hair, slightly spiked, dark blue eyes. The elevator opened on the 69th floor, and the two stepped out of the elevators. The First lead Aerith through a door on her right, through a room with some benches and vending machines, then through another door that opened on a small hallway. Out the next door on either side were two counters with women answering phones and working on computers. Against the far wall were two staircases opposite each other, curving up the walls with lush purple carpeting running up them.

"Go upstairs," the First ordered, stopping at the bottom. Aerith looked around the floor, there weren't many people aside from the two women, and there was an eerie silence. She put a hand on the railing and took the steps slowly, one at a time, and she suddenly realized who was going to be waiting her on the 70th floor. She rounded the bend and the top came into view. Aerith continued climbing, looking straight ahead to keep from looking to the side, and finally put her foot down on cold grey steel.

"SOLDIER Second Class Aerith," a familiar voice muttered. Aerith turned her head. In the center of the large, wide open room was a large crescent-shaped desk. Floor to ceiling windows made up the far wall behind them, and wall sconces on pillars lit the room up. Three chairs sat in front of the desk – Angeal was in one of them, and was watching her. Behind the desk, hands clasped on top of a brown file folder, President Shinra was watching her as well. Behind him on either side were Director Lazard and Professor Hojo.

"Come, sit," the President ordered. Aerith stiffly walked towards the chairs and sat down next to Angeal. Angeal looked ahead as the President looked down at the file folder under his hands and opened it, flipping through the papers inside. Aerith wanted to ask why she was there, but she knew the answer already. What she really wanted to ask was if she could leave, but that question was equally stupid. Lazard was looking over the President's shoulder as he read the file. Hojo, meanwhile, was doing a poor job of concealing a piercing glare as he stared at Aerith, hands clasped behind her back. Aerith decided she would be a lot more comfortable if she knew he wasn't involved in this.

"SOLDIER First Class Angeal Hewley," the President said, looking up at Angeal. "You reported during your debriefing that you ordered Second Class Aerith to accompany SOLDIER forces to Junon. Explain."

"Sir," Angeal stood and saluted before continuing. "Given the absence of Sephiroth and Genesis at the time, and the level of emergency I knew the sirens meant, I felt that it would be appreciated if all combat-proficient SOLDIERs were at the disposal for whatever matter was at hand. Aerith is the most skilled Second I know, it was my belief that her combat prowess would be of value. I take full responsibility for any punishment you would inflict for this breach of orders."

"Any punishment I see fit to give either of you is mine to dispense as I wish, SOLDIER," the President replied coldly. "Thank you for your explanation. Sit." Angeal saluted again and sat back down, and Aerith straightened up as light blue eyes turned her way. "Aerith," the President began. "Continue where he left off, if you don't mind."

"Sir?" Aerith replied, confused.

"This is a debriefing, Aerith," Lazard explained. "Report your actions upon arriving at Junon." Aerith nodded and stood up, silently thanking Lazard. She had only met him a few times, but he had always demonstrated a degree of sympathy for her when they had interacted.

"I accompanied the SOLDIER forces to Junon, while the other SOLDIER members engaged the rebels, myself and another SOLDIER directly sought out the President," Aerith recited, leaving out Zack's name. No point getting him in trouble, potentially. "We met up with a force of Shinra security personnel and pushed back the rebels to the elevator to the top of the mako cannon structure where the presidential residence was. At this point we met up with the President and escorted him to the helipad during a second wave of attack."

"Who was the SOLDIER accompanying you?" Hojo asked. Aerith mentally cursed. She considered tossing out another name, but they would inevitably question who she said instead and catch the lie.

"Second Class Zack Fair," she said.

"Was any information of value on the rebel forces gathered from your personal experience?" Lazard asked. Aerith noted that the President was just watching and listening now.

"They were in possession of Wutai weaponry, Materia, and explosives, but I'm not sure how widespread the usage of such is, given the small number I saw," Aerith said. "The woman I fought during the President's escape called herself Elfé, I believe she may have been the group's leader. She called them AVALANCHE."

"AVALANCHE?" Lazard asked.

"Yes…Mr. President, sir, she directly gave me a message for you," Aerith said after a moment's hesitation and turned her eyes his way. The President nodded. "She said that AVALANCHE was Gaia's vengeance, here to stop Shinra from killing the planet. She told me to warn you that you should remember their name, because you'll hear it again."

"Threats are meaningless unless one possesses the ability to follow through on them," the President muttered. "Anything else?"

"Elfé seemed to have unusually high combat skills. Reflexes, strength, agility, all a match for or superior to my own," Aerith continued, leaving out that they were superior enough to momentarily overpower her. "I'm unsure what type of power was fueling these enhancements, however."

"As if your skill level is such a hard feat to outdo," Hojo muttered to himself. Aerith caught it, however, and bristled. However, she wasn't the only one who had heard.

"Matching the skill level of any Second is indeed unusual, for a normal human," Lazard interjected. "Is that all?"

"Nothing else comes to immediate mind, sir," Aerith shook her head. She prayed that this was it and they would let her go now.

"Then, the next matter at hand, is the discussion of your excursion that ran contrary to established orders," President Shinra said. "According to this file folder, you are only to be allowed access to Floors 49, 57, 60 and 61. And you are under no circumstances to be allowed to leave the building unsupervised."

"I was given orders that overrode those restrictions, sir," Aerith answered, casting a glance at Angeal. President Shinra pulled a sheet out of the file folder and held it out to her.

"Aerith, this is the order sheet given to security personnel regarding your movements about the building. Who's signature is that at the bottom?" the President asked. Aerith had a feeling she already knew, but took the sheet and looked down, her mouth suddenly dry.

"Yours, sir."

"Do Angeal's orders override my own?" the President asked coldly.

"No, sir."

"And yet you obeyed him instead of me."

"If I may, sir…it has never been indicated to me where these restrictions came from," Aerith said honestly. "I had been under the assumption they were set in place by Director Lazard or Professor Hojo."

"And you believe Angeal outranks them, then?" the President asked.

"…no, sir" Aerith muttered, realizing how pathetic her excuse had been.

"The restrictions are in place for your own safety, Aerith," Lazard said. "Many floors in this building are cut off from SOLDIER members due to the company being wary of spies, or because we are conducting dangerous weapons testing or experimentations and cannot have non-authorized personnel present. You are of great value to Shinra. We cannot let you run about helpless and get into trouble."

"I'm not helpless!" Aerith suddenly cried out. "Angeal said it himself, I'm one of the most powerful Seconds in SOLDIER! Pit me against anyone in the ranks outside the Firsts and I can take them. I don't need some sort of curfew to be protected, you can't chain me up in here! I'm a human being, dammit!"

"Know your place, girl!" Hojo snapped. "You're already here because you broke orders, don't step out of line further. Just because the President is here that does not give you a right to speak to me like that."

"Yet, she speaks truly behind the rage. She has proven there is no danger is letting her out. She is here, alive, and performed well on the mission," Lazard said. "And she is indeed a human we have kept caged here."

"It's the principle of the matter, she could have gotten herself killed," Hojo countered.

"So could any other member of SOLDIER on any other mission," Aerith protested. Hojo glared at her again, and Aerith refused to shrink back for once.

"Enough," the President said, annoyed. Hojo was beginning to reply to Aerith but stopped himself. Aerith sat back down. "Aerith, you defied orders and knowingly so, Angeal's orders aside you should have known he did not outrank any of us. To use him as an excuse is flimsy." The President stared at her for a moment.

"…However," he began in a lighter tone of voice. "Angeal's judgment was understandable. We train SOLDIER to take charge of high-risk situations and to demonstrate authority and leadership. And in an emergency, they may override executive orders for the integrity of their objective, the validity of which is to be judged afterwards. Under these particular circumstances, even if you did not know the nature of the emergency, Angeal, you were fair in your decision to have Aerith accompany SOLDIER. And, you did help save my life, young lady. Thus, in spite of your misbehavior I find myself feeling amicable." To Aerith's shock, the President smiled.

"Angeal, you followed your training to the best of your knowledge, and Aerith, you obeyed orders from a superior despite conflicts between them and prior orders. Given the results, you both made the correct decisions. No punishments or penalties shall be levied against either of you." Angeal nodded while Aerith broke out into a smile, the tension leaving her body in a rush. However, the President wasn't done. "But make no mistake, this will not happen again. If another emergency occurs, perhaps, but the restrictions set in place for you Aerith are still in effect. Understood?"

"Yes, Mr. President," Aerith nodded.

"Good. Perhaps at some later time, after continued results like this in more controlled circumstances, we can look at loosening your 'chains', as you called them. And Angeal, good work. This is why you're a First, and one of our most trusted."

"Thank you, Mr. President," Angeal replied.

"Alright then, we're done. Dismissed." The President looked down at the file folders and began looking through them. Angeal and Aerith stood up and began walking to the stairs. Aerith could tell from Hojo's face he wasn't done discussing the issue yet. Lazard on the other hand seemed relieved, almost pleased.

"You're lucky you were the one to save him," Angeal whispered. "He's in a good mood over this. And he'll live up to his word about considering letting you out more." Aerith stopped as they reached the top of the stairs, and Angeal began to head down. She thought for a moment, her eyes clouded.

"Mr. President!" she called, turning. Lazard was whispering something, leaning down next to him as Hojo watched, and at the sound of her voice the three raised their heads. Behind Aerith, Angeal turned on the stairs.

"Yes?" the President asked evenly.

"I'd like to discuss being allowed to take on assignments and missions, sir," Aerith said, taking a couple steps closer. "Like the rest of SOLDIER."

"I just said we shall discuss it at a later time," the President replied.

"Now is a later time," Aerith insisted, reaching the chairs but not sitting down. The President furrowed his brow slightly, annoyed, and looked at his watch.

"Well…I do have a few more minutes. Speak," he ordered. "Make it quick."

"I'm one of the most powerful members of SOLDIER in the ranks, even above Firsts. I've heard rumors I may be promoted. Angeal said he had me go to Junon to make up for a lack of Genesis and Sephiroth, which shows the value he places on my skills," Aerith recited. An idea came to mind and she ran with it before she thought it through, the idea delighting her. "And my simulator scores are so high that Professor Hojo has resorted to pitting me against recreations of Sephiroth to challenge me properly."

"A preposterous twisting of the truth!" Hojo snapped.

"My records speak for themselves, more than I need to," Aerith said, keeping calm. She had hit a nerve and she liked that, she liked being able to strike back at him for once, and it soothed her anger at the professor. "I can't further my training anymore within these walls, sir. If I'm so valuable to Shinra, then put me to use. I've proven my training can transfer to the field, and if loyalty is a problem, I could have fled in Junon, and it never crossed my mind." Aerith took a breath. "Mr. President, I want assignments and missions. I _deserve_ them." The President turned his head to Hojo.

"Are her statements true?" he asked.

"Outlandish stretching of cherry-picked facts," Hojo snorted. "The girl is manipulating the truth sir, she-"

"Lazard?" the President asked, turning his head to the director. Hojo trailed off, and Aerith held back a snicker.

"Sephiroth and Angeal have both spoken to me about her, they both consider her viable for missions based on both skill and loyalty, sir," Lazard nodded. "And many of her scores are some of the highest in the company. She's almost equaling Sephiroth's scores from years ago…well, before he became too powerful to rate, that is." Aerith swelled at the comment, even if the second part detracted from it.

"Angeal?" The President asked. Aerith turned to see him approaching.

"At this point sir, I could hand pick five Seconds who regularly receive assignments and ask they be dismissed from the ranking, and our performance as an organization would still improve if we sent Aerith out to the field in their place," Angeal said. "Everything Aerith has said is entirely accurate."

"This is ridiculous," Hojo muttered under his breath. "That little wench can't be trusted out of our sight!"

"Ours, or yours?" Aerith jabbed.

"She asks a good question," Lazard chuckled.

"I do have other matters to attend to, but you've made your case. There will be others I need to speak to before coming to a decision, and Director Lazard and I will have to discuss this at length. I will have a decision for you within a few days. Is this acceptable?"

"Yes sir," Aerith nodded. "Thank you."

"Rewards come to those who seek them out, Aerith," the President advised. "Remember this advice, it got me where I am today."

"Yes sir."

"This is why you'll never be a First," Hojo hissed as Aerith moved to leave, stopping at his voice. "A complete lack of discipline and respect for authority."

"Are you mad at me, Professor?" she asked innocently. "Or mad to be in a situation where you don't have absolute control over me?" Aerith walked away, her back on any response Hojo might throw at her, but none came, from him or the President or Lazard. Angeal followed her to the stairs.

"You were brash. Too brash," Angeal warned.

"Maybe. It felt good though," Aerith grinned. "Being able to put that bastard in his place was satisfying."

"He'll make you pay for it. And you won't be able to just run to Lazard or the President. Here you could go over his head, but not anymore."

"I'll deal with it. It depends on what happens when the President gets back to me. I know the answer to that question, Hojo likes having authority over me. Just now he had to share it." The two reached the bottom of the stairs. "I'm feeling hopeful, for once. Lazard is on my side I think, and I know you and Sephiroth are. I hate owing debts but this is one I'll accept if it means getting out there."

"Lazard's a good man. Not a lot of the higher-up people in Shinra have a sense of moral or honor, so you learn to appreciate the few that do. If you begin taking on assignments, they'll come direct from him," Angeal said. Aerith nodded.

_"Lazard called me valuable. I'm of value to Shinra? Yeah, I'm really valuable here, without me who would they have to hog all the free time on the simulators and training equipment?" _Aerith thought to herself. _"What a joke."_ She remembered what she had heard before coming here as she and Angeal headed to the elevators. In the small hallway on the way with no one else around, she stopped in front of him.

"I heard that Sephiroth returned from Kalm alone," she said. Angeal looked at her sternly.

"Where did he hear that?" he asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I know you must have gotten it from Zack, you don't talk to anyone else. Where'd he get it?"

"He didn't say," Aerith lied. "So where's Genesis?"

"A gag order has been issued. We don't discuss it until the company releases a statement," Angeal said sternly. "You shouldn't even know about this yet."

"Well I do. Where is he?" Aerith asked. "Come on Angeal, you know how much I don't care normally, so figure how concerned I actually am here." Angeal looked behind him to make sure the doorway was closed and the hallway empty.

"We don't know," he whispered.

"We being you and Sephiroth?"

"We being Shinra. Sephiroth has refused a debriefing so far, but yes, he came back alone."

"He say anything to you?"

"No. And I asked. A lot," Angeal said, looking away. Aerith felt sorry for him, sure they were all friends but she knew Angeal and Genesis went back before their time in SOLDIER together. Zack had told her the tale of the two growing up and joining Shinra together. Aerith had nothing but frustration and contempt for Genesis and Sephiroth. Angeal, as long-winded as he could be, was the most decent of the trio. While Genesis was quoting philosophy and poetry and Sephiroth was being near-worshipped, Angeal was quietly helping recruits and overseeing training. He was one of the few she had met who seemed genuinely interested in the well-being and safety of the members of SOLDIER.

"Has Genesis said anything lately? Acting weird?" Aerith asked.

"He's been talking about LOVELESS the last month or so…more than usual," Angeal added after noticing her reaction. "Said he had had an epiphany, said it all made sense. Didn't explain it, just kept mumbling to himself and kept reading it over and over, even put off his usual training to stay in his room."

"Maybe he finally went off the deep end," Aerith shrugged. Something in Genesis's head had always seemed slightly out of alignment to her.

"We could use him here," Angeal said, ignoring the remark. "This 'AVALANCHE', you said they'll be back. They had the power to strike Junon, there's no telling where they'll hit next, or when, or how."

"Shinra just beat Wutai, how tough can they be?"

"Wutai was a country defending their land. AVALANCHE are terrorists, they could be operating from anywhere, could strike anywhere, could be spread out as far as you could imagine. There's an entirely different set of tactics we'll need to follow if this is the start of another war. We have to defend ourselves while trying to track them down."

"So it really is another war," Aerith said as Angeal walked past her. "Genesis picked a good time to vanish."

"I know you don't like him, but he is my friend," Angeal muttered. "Please try to keep your jabs to yourself around me. Personal restraint is another valued quality in SOLDIER you could stand to work on."

"Right, sorry," Aerith replied, following him. They reached the elevators and boarded.

"Given that your restrictions on movement are in place again, I'll be taking you back to the 49th," Angeal said, swiping his ID card on the card slot below the elevator buttons. Aerith nodded. She had tried a few times, early in her career, to visit other floors, but the ID cards were needed to operate the elevator, and the third time she had tried the doors had opened to reveal security guards.

"Angeal. Do you really think they might let me take assignments?" Aerith asked.

"Yes. Between Genesis's disappearance and the possibility of another war, they'll be looking for promising Seconds to take on high-priority objectives. They'll need you, and the Junon incident proved you can be useful to them. You can count on seeing less of Zack around the building now, for the same reasons. You two both did good out there from what I've read on the reports."

"You'll see less of both of us, because we'll both be out on assignment," Aerith said proudly. She thought back to Zack's little speech about the two of them and Kunsel being in First in a month, fighting together. It sounded plausible now, more than ever. She actually felt hopeful about the meeting with the President.

"So, any of this aside from Genesis under gag order?" Aerith asked as the elevator readout click down past 50.

"Not that I would expect. But do keep that to yourself, they'd know to look at me and Sephiroth if information about Genesis becomes widespread, and I've already put my neck out there once."

"Right," Aerith nodded. "And thank you."

"You didn't make me regret it, that's all the thanks I need. But you're welcome," Angeal nodded back with a small smile. The doors open on the 49th floor and Aerith stepped off, the doors sliding shut behind her.


	7. Chapter 7

Mother's Legacy

Chapter 7

* * *

Aerith swung her staff, letting it slide through her grasp to fling out and slam its end into a trooper's face. She spun, knocking two more aside and planting it in the ground to jump forward and deliver a flying kick to another, bringing her staff to a more comfortable, controlled grip in the process.

It was the second day after her encounter with President Shinra and she hadn't heard a word yet. She was growing anxious and had spoken to Angeal that morning, but he assured her that the President would keep his word and answer her soon. She hoped so, because if she was just forgotten about she wasn't going to stand for it this time. She couldn't afford to, it was a foot in the door with someone above Hojo, and she couldn't let the chance slip away.

_"I can't concentrate," _she thought. She stopped and reached into her pocket for her cell phone as a series of holographic bullets tore through her shoulder from two more Shinra soldiers. "Shut it down, I'm done," she said. The attackers stopped and dissolved into bright green computer code to reveal the walls of the training simulator.

_"Shinra Army Exercise 4. Score – 213 troops incapacitated."_

"Yeah yeah," Aerith muttered at the computerized voice. The 4 SAE simulations were a joke, four trials against escalating numbers of Shinra troopers with escalating intelligence and tactics. The simulation was horribly outdated though, and was terribly programmed even for its day. Even at level 4 – the highest AI intelligence levels powering 1000 soldiers in waves of ten – the program was ridiculously easy. The only reason so few ever finished it wasn't due to difficulty, but the time and effort it took to downing the troops one by one. And if you did finish it, no one cared. But it was a way to pass the time occasionally, see how long one could last before they got bored and quit. Aerith wondered if the scientists left it up as a simulation selection for a game more than training now.

She was listless, bored even for her. Sitting around the tower only partaking in training simulations and whatever else she could do to pass the time had dissolved her patience over the last year, in Third she got regular instruction in SOLDIER protocol and combat theory, it was as much school lecturing as training. Promotion to Second was a chance to begin taking on assignments and missions unescorted and put what you had been taught as a Third to use, and if you did a proper job of it and proved yourself, you went on to First, the best of the best. At least, that's how it worked for everyone else. She on the other hand was stuck at the tower with nothing to do but smashing her staff into computerized foes.

_"Want another one, Aerith?" _the voice of the scientist overseeing the simulations asked.

"Got anything with more punch to it?" she called.

_"For you, not much. There's the train hi-jacking still."_

"Pass," Aerith said, remembering Hojo's meddling. He wouldn't have put Sephiroth in other scenarios, would he? He might have, she wouldn't put anything past him.

_"We have a cave exploration, just finished programming the other day. Not sure how much challenge it'll be for you, but it's new."_

"Sounds good," she nodded. "Fire it up." The room lit up green and faded to reveal a dark cavern, stone platforms and bridges forming a maze-like formation over murky water below.

* * *

Zack stepped inside the elevator on the ground floor of the Shinra headquarters. He was coming back from an early-morning patrol mission in Sector 4. Shinra had posted a lot of patrol missions lately. Zack suspected it was quiet paranoia about AVALANCHE. Wutai had never had the guts or the capacity, as far as they knew, to strike Shinra so close to home as AVALANCHE did at Junon. There was no telling what was next. They had to be paranoid now, they couldn't risk being calm.

As Zack pressed the button for the 49th floor and the doors slid closed, they suddenly opened again. Zack looked out and his eyes widened slightly at the sight of someone pressing the button for the elevator.

"Hi," he said, lifting a hand. Sephiroth didn't respond, stepping into the car beside him and reaching over to press a button. 49th floor. The car jerked as it began to ascend, the two SOLDIERs in silence. Zack leaned forward slightly and looked over at Sephiroth to see him staring ahead, his eyes concealed from the side by his bangs. He was never Sephiroth's friend, of course, but he had met him a few times through Aerith. He wouldn't be entirely unresponsive to conversation, would he? Zack thought for a moment. One way to find out.

"So…how are things?" Zack asked. Sephiroth took a moment to respond.

"I take it Aerith is in training?" he muttered.

"Um, I guess, maybe. I've been out all morning but that's usually where she is," Zack replied. Not the response he was expecting, but he didn't much expect one at all. The car fell silent again and Zack debated asking a question. He decided he might as well, Sephiroth was probably expecting it given all the rumors going around. Zack thought this was the first time had been seen in days. "Is it true you came back from Kalm alone?" he asked.

"Yes."

"…did Genesis get injured?"

"No."

"So what happened to him?" Zack prodded further.

"I am not at liberty to say," Sephiroth turned his head Zack's direction. His expression was blank, but his eyes were clouded. "And even if I were, I wouldn't."

"Right," Zack nodded. He wasn't sure what had happened if Genesis hadn't been hurt, but now that he knew it wasn't that his curiosity was just more intense. Sephiroth turned his head forward again. "Whatever happened, you don't look happy about it." Sephiroth didn't answer, and Zack made a slight face, disappointed his bait wasn't taken. The mystery of Genesis's fate was widely known to the company now, but Shinra, as they liked to do so often with information they didn't want known, pretended that it was still secret.

"Hear about Aerith at Junon?" Zack asked instead.

"Yes. The reports were pleasing," Sephiroth answered, his tone lighter. "She did as well in her first field mission as I expected of her. A pity I was not there to see it for myself."

"If you had been there, she wouldn't have been. Angeal only had her join us because we were down you and Genesis," Zack explained.

"Had I been present I may have asked her to accompany me anyway," Sephiroth countered. "I've been trying to get her a field operation for some time. I've merely lacked sufficient reasons to convince…certain individuals, that she is needed." Zack wondered who he meant by that.

"I don't get why you're so nice about her. I mean, she hates you. Her only real goal in life is to show you up. You know that right?" Zack said. Their relationship had always confused him, Sephiroth's mood when he watched their rare interactions were lighter than when he saw him around the building otherwise, and he encouraged her and praised her. Aerith had never had anything but insults and sneers for responses.

"Yes," Sephiroth said simply.

"And you're cool with that?"

"Her hatred of me motivates her to push herself harder, as long as that objective is achieved her feelings for me are something I will tolerate. Were she to not loathe me so, she may not be as strong as she is today." Sephiroth lowered his eyes slightly, his hair hiding the gesture from Zack's view. "Besides. It is not my place to dictate how she treats me, and she has justification for such emotions that I cannot dispute."

"Like what?" Zack prompted. Sephiroth raised his eyes as the elevator doors beeped and slid open. The two stepped out onto the 49th floor, and Sephiroth turned to Zack.

"Get Aerith and bring her here," he ordered.

"She won't come, not to you," Zack warned, rubbing his neck.

"It is not I who demands her presence, I am merely retrieving her on the orders of another," Sephiroth said. He turned to the wall between the two elevators and leaned back, crossing his arms. "I will wait." Zack made a slight face as he turned and walked out onto the floor, Sephiroth remaining by the elevators. A few stray Seconds and Thirds were watching him and whispering to each other. No doubt discussing among themselves the same issue Zack had asked on the elevators. He wondered if any of them would work up the courage to approach him. Rounding the corner to see no sigh of Aerith at the couches in the rest area, Zack walked to the door to the simulation room and pressed the intercom button.

_"Yes?"_

"In Aerith in there?" Zack asked. "It's Zack."

_"She's in the middle of a simulation," _the scientist replied.

"She's needed on the floor. It's urgent," Zack said. The intercom went dead, and Zack looked up at the light over the door. Several seconds later, the light blinked from red to green, and he reached into his pocket. Right on cue, his cellphone rang in his hand. He flipped it open and raised it to his ear.

"Yo. Hope I didn't ruin a good run."

_"What do you want?" _an irritated voice muttered.

"Not me. You're needed."

_"By?"_

"Can't say. It's important though."

Aerith hung up, and Zack looked down at the door to the room. A moment later the door slid open.

"You're a pain in the ass," she muttered, stepping out into the hall. "What's going on?"

"Just head to the elevators," Zack said, lifting a hand to gesture. "And don't kill me." Aerith gave him an annoyed look and headed to the elevators. She came around the corner of the central support of the floor and stopped.

"Oh, fuck this," she growled. Sephiroth turned his head her way.

"Come. We've business to attend to," he said coolly, standing up.

"Not with you I don't," Aerith called back, not coming closer.

"I assure you, you do," Sephiroth insisted, smiling slightly. "Do be quick about it. Keeping him waiting isn't going to help you get what you've been after for so long, I think." A slight alarm bell went off in Aerith's head. Was it President Shinra again? She couldn't risk it after that warning, even if it was something else.

"They couldn't have sent someone else?" she grumbled as she walked up to Sephiroth.

"Yes, they could have," Sephiroth said, turning and pressing the button to open the elevator doors. "I was offered the task and accepted it. I wish to be present at this event."

"Sure, whatever," Aerith said, not caring she didn't have a snarkier response. Best to just get it over with so she could get rid of him. The two stepped into the elevator, and Sephiroth pressed the button for the 51st floor.

"51? What's there?" Aerith asked as the doors closed.

"Your future," Sephiroth said. Aerith rolled her eyes as the elevator took the short trip up two floors, opening on a long grey hallway. At the far end was an emergency exit door. To the right, another hall. Aerith tensed. An office floor, alright. Sephiroth lead the way down the hall on the right, which split at a large open area to go around a central pillar. The pillar hosted a large television screen showing a map of the planet, four smaller blank screens around it, two on either side. Sephiroth took a few steps to the left of the pillar, then stopped.

"One thing I want to be clear," he said, turning around as Aerith came up behind him. "The actions you take after this day will affect more than you realize. A lot of people will be watching you. Including me."

"A lot of people are already watching me. They're called security guards," Aerith replied. "Get on with it." Sephiroth turned back around without another word and lead Aerith around the pillar. Aerith followed him and relaxed slightly as they came around the other side. Of all the people she could have been summoned by, this was the best choice. And even better, he was alone.

"Sephiroth, thank you," Lazard said, smiling. "Aerith, if you please." The director gestured to the chairs in front of his desk, and Aerith walked forward and sat down. Lazard's desk and display screens on either side of the room adorned what was otherwise a dull grey and steel-blue room. A light blue window pane behind him hosted the Shinra logo and name, two normal windows on either side of it. Lazard picked up his phone and pressed a button.

"This is Lazard. Aerith is here, the transmission will come shortly…yes…of course. Thank you." Lazard hung up. "Aerith, your SOLDIER ID." Aerith reached into her pocket and withdrew her ID card. She looked down at it, a smiling, younger version of herself looking back. Her first day in SOLDIER she had been proud, happy, eager. Naïve. She handed it to Lazard, who swiped it through a card reader next to his computer, and began typing. Aerith heard movement and saw a black coat step up beside her in her peripheral vision. Otherwise the room was silent save for the clicking of the keys and the background hum of electronics.

"What's going on?" she asked. Lazard ignored her and continued his work. Aerith shifted uncomfortably.

"Do not worry," Sephiroth whispered above her. "This is a good day for you."

"I wasn't asking you," she hissed back. Lazard made a few clicks with his mouse, then swiped the ID card again and waited.

"Done," he said, holding the card out. "Congratulations, Aerith. The security parameters regarding your handling have been redefined." Her eyes brightened.

"Meaning?" she asked, hoping.

"You now have full access to all areas of the building that are normally open to Second Class SOLDIERs. I'm sure Zack will explain which ones. Your confinement to your room is removed, you may spend as much or as little time there as you like, but as with all Seconds you are expected to be within the building before 9 PM and are not allowed to leave before 7 AM, unless a mission or assignment allows otherwise. You may enter the city but cannot leave the city limits, unless of course on an assignment or mission that requires so."

"Missions," Aerith repeated, growing excited.

"We still have to clear a few things with security, which will take a few more days. Red tape and identification information and so forth. And you're on notice while we monitor your performance, so we reserve the right to revoke these new freedoms if we are displeased with your behavior. But, yes. In the future you will be summoned here for regular assignment to tasks, and may take on missions from the board on the 49th floor. Your applications, as with all Seconds, will be forwarded to me to await my personal approve before you can depart. Regarding you specifically, we're going to keep your missions confined to the Midgar area, for your safety. Do well and we'll remove this restriction in time. Assignments, we'll be sending you where you're needed, it may be Midgar, it could be as far as Wutai." Lazard paused for a moment, Aerith at this point unable to hide a grin.

"There are still some concerned over your loyalty, sadly, and over your safety," Lazard continue. Aerith made a face in spite of her joy. Hojo, obviously. "To alleviate both problems, while on assignments and missions, you'll be working with a partner."

"Like hell!" Aerith snapped at the last word, her good mood vanishing. "I don't need this pompous ass babysitting me!"

"He doesn't mean me," Sephiroth said immediately. Aerith looked up at him. "You're too predictable for your own good," Sephiroth said, looking down at her. "But, you can thank me for putting in a good word for someone else to fill the role."

"Sephiroth is too valuable an operative for this task, with AVALANCHE's threat looming he will be needed for more high-priority engagements," Lazard said. "On his recommendations, and our own observational data, we've chosen Second Class Zack Fair to work with you. I trust he will be a more acceptable choice?"

"…yes. Thank you," Aerith muttered, embarrassed at her outburst now. Working alongside Zack in the field? He'd probably be overjoyed. She would have taken him over anyone else though, he had shown a more authoritative and in-control side of himself in Junon. Out in the field while she got used to the new independence, he would be helpful to have around. And when they had trained together, they had done well.

"Excellent. Then, there is nothing more to say, but congratulations," Lazard stood and held out his hand. "There are a lot more people than you know that are and will be happy to hear the news."

"Thank you, director," Aerith said, standing and shaking his hand. "Your trust won't be betrayed."

"On a related note to that," Lazard said, taking his hand back to adjust his glasses. "You, and many other Seconds including Zack, are still under review for promotion. This has been one of our major factors in addition to various recommendations from some of the Firsts that has motivated this decision in your favor. Prove yourself now, Aerith, and First Class awaits you. This is not just a chance to fight in the field, it's a chance to improve yourself in both mind and spirit, and of course, attitude. Right?"

"I know," Aerith grumbled. "I've heard this lecture before."

"Take it to heart this time because it's not just a lecture, it's the truth. If you want to make First, this is the time to show you deserve it."

"When I told you the day would come soon when you stand beside me in First, it wasn't just a statement, it was encouragement," Sephiroth chimed in. "There are none in Shinra who would like to see that day more than I, Aerith. Make me proud."

"I don't need your little speeches or your promises of approval to motivate me to that," Aerith said defiantly, looking over at Sephiroth and smirking. "I've gotten this far on my own skills, and I'm going to go even further with them now. There won't be any standing beside you, Sephiroth. I'll be surpassing you."

"Good," Sephiroth chuckled slightly. "If you'd replied with any less ferocity I might have worried you were losing that fire that has indeed done so well for you up. Now, learn to temper that fire, hm?"

"I will," Aerith nodded. "Anything else, director? You two still want to sing my praises to me?"

"No. You may go," Lazard said.

"Good. I'll be notified when my security clearance for mission application is done?"

"Of course."

"Then see ya, I think I'm going to find Zack and have him show me a good place in the city for lunch." Aerith smiled widely and turned on her heel.

"By the way," Sephiroth said, looking over at her, "you're forgiven for that 'pompous ass' comment."

"Not sorry for it," Aerith tossed back, walking around the pillar to the elevator. Sephiroth watched her go, keen hearing listening for the sounds of the elevator doors. He nodded when he heard them slide closed. Lazard sat down and leaned his head back. After looking up at the ceiling for a moment, he sat forward to look at Sephiroth.

"You realize she is never going to get over those ego problems if you keep building her up like that," Lazard warned, his expression turning more serious.

"She needs the encouragement. If I don't say the words, who will?"

"Everyone. We all know how powerful she is, Sephiroth, and she knows we know. But she's not ready yet. Not like you seem to think."

"It's Hojo's fault," Sephiroth said lowly, narrowing his eyes. "That incompetent twit wouldn't know a fine soldier if one demonstrated in person for him. To him we're all just lab experiments, he doesn't recognize her potential, he just sees data charts to be compiled. Without him around, she would already be a First. You know this as well as I."

"No, I don't. Her attitude is holding her back more than she realizes," Lazard said, shaking his head. "I know about your…bond, with her, but you can't be blind to her problems, it's only going to compromise your judgment in the future."

"Nothing is compromised. I stand by my statement, she would not have such issues if not for Hojo's idea of child raising and security. Keeping her locked up here has stunted her personal growth."

"It's worked out alright for you."

"That was different," Sephiroth said sharply, "and you know it. Let me handle Aerith, if she needs it anymore. You're going to have far larger concerns than her soon that will need your attention more."

"I know," Lazard sighed. "I've read your debriefing over twice. You are telling the truth about Genesis?"

"I swear it."

"Then we have a larger crisis than anyone knows. We can't let this get out, a deserter is always a concern for the company. But Genesis, of all people? There are SOLDIER members who would desert with him if they knew he was gone. We cannot have that. Not to mention the moral of the soldiers with another war coming and one of our best gone."

"Some in the ranks already suspect he is dead or deserted. Rumor has spread fast," Sephiroth said. Lazard looked up at him. "I said nothing, I was observed returning alone and speculation began," Sephiroth defended.

"Yes, of course. They cannot know the truth though, let the rumors stay as rumors."

"We cannot simply ignore the issue. Genesis is a well-known figure to the public. People will take notice that he is no longer around, and reporters will investigate why."

"Yes, we still need a cover story," Lazard nodded. "I've already spoken to the President about the idea. We've come to a decision, the elements needed are in place."

"The usual?" Sephiroth asked dryly.

"I know. But it's the only option, until we can investigate him further it's our most reliable course of action. I have the notice ready, I was preparing to send it out when you arrived. By the time you get back to your quarters the official version of events should be in your email."

"Well then, don't let me keep you from such distasteful business," Sephiroth droned. "If you'll excuse me, director, Aerith's mention of lunch is appealing to me as well."

"Yes. You may go, Sephiroth," Lazard said. "I'm sorry I can't do more for you."

"Apologies are empty when one has done nothing wrong," Sephiroth replied, walking away.

* * *

Aerith stepped out on the 49th floor, her good mood returning to her on the trip, and immediately saw Zack waiting for her, leaning against the wall.

"So what was it?" he asked. Aerith was tempted to tell him, but she wanted to enjoy his confusion a bit more. Mean, perhaps, but she couldn't help herself.

"I'll tell you over lunch," she offered. "If you don't mind paying."

"Uh, sure, but the cafeteria doesn't charge SOLDIER, I thought," Zack replied.

"I was thinking somewhere out in the city, if you know a place," Aerith said. Zack was still confused, and Aerith decided to cut him loose. "It was a little meeting with Lazard. Security restrictions, most of them, are revoked. Standard Second Class orders apply."

"What!?" Zack exclaimed loudly, drawing attention from a few passing SOLDIERs. "For real?"

"Yes Zack, for real," Aerith nodded. Zack laughed and slapped her a high five.

"Awesome!" he cheered, pumping his fist. "About time, Zack and Aerith kicking ass together for real! We gotta ask Lazard to pass us a joint assignment."

"That's all we'll get," Aerith continued. "They're still uneasy about me, so I have to work with a partner."

"Oh come on, now you're teasing me," Zack grinned.

"Nope. Sephiroth recommended you personally?"

"Really? So Big Brother has given us his blessings?" Aerith gave Zack a knowing glare. "Oh come on, you can't be angry at me under these circumstances and you know it!" he insisted.

"Yeah, I do. So, lunch? Can show me the city."

"It'd be a pleasure," Zack nodded. Aerith pressed the button to re-open the elevator doors and the two stepped inside. "Any type of food in particular come to mind?"

"Anything the cafeteria doesn't mangle horribly on a regular basis," Aerith said. Zack smiled.

"It's good to see you in a good mood. You aren't like that enough."

"Excuse me?" Aerith said, offended.

"Well, you're usually so serious and focused and irritable," Zack explained, trying to say it gently. "You know, a lot of the time you can be a little…"

"Bitchy," Aerith finished.

"Your word, not mine," Zack said, holding up his hands.

"Why shouldn't I be happy? I've finally gotten what I want," Aerith shrugged. "I'm so close to First now I can taste it, and after that there's nothing else I could ask for."

"Well, that's not true. You know your real goal in the end," Zack said. Aerith nodded, agreeing fully.

"Kicking his ass will come with being First," she said. "By the time I get to the highest rank I'll be ready to take him on."

"If you say so. You haven't seen Sephiroth in a real fight."

"I've seen the news."

"Yeah but you haven't heard the first-hand accounts from Angeal, and even he says he can't describe it accurately. Sephiroth's strength is unreal, he's far stronger in reality than any story you might have heard about him. They say he stopped using the simulator back when he was still a Second because they couldn't score him properly, he was too good."

"Spare me the mythos," Aerith snorted. _"I'm going to get stronger too…whatever that power in Junon was, it was me. I just have to figure out how to do it again, learn to control it. Not even Sephiroth has that type of power." _She fingered her staff hanging from her belt in its collapsed state. The rush of power, the absolute certainty in her mind, the precision of her movements as she fired those two fireballs. She had to find out how to tap into that well of power and focus again. The words she had pulled from nowhere, 'Crimson Flare'. As good a name as any to call it, and she'd need something to refer to it as if she was going to learn to do it again. How she had that power, she didn't know, but she'd find out.

"I've always wondered something," Zack began. "And since you're in a good mood, might as well ask now."

"What?" Aerith replied, a bit wary that Zack's question demanded she be in a good mood.

"So you want to be a First and surpass Sephiroth. Then what?" Zack asked.

"Then what, what?" Aerith was confused.

"What comes after you beat him?"

"After that, nothing. I'm a First, the strongest in the company, and the legendary Sephiroth is inferior to me. What else is there to ask for?" Aerith said.

"You need something else to fight for besides just being strong. It's like Angeal says, 'you need dreams and honor'. What kind of dream just ends with you beating Sephiroth?"

"You know, just because I'm in a good mood, doesn't mean you can start spewing that hero bullshit at me and expect me to believe it more than usual," Aerith said.

"I'm not spewing anything. You've got a long life ahead of you Aerith, you can't spend it all trying to beat Sephiroth. And if you beat him in a few months, what's left for you?"

"Being the best," she said fiercely. "Being known and recognized for who and what I am. Respect, admiration, adoration, fame. _That's _my dream, to live the life I deserve to have. And you're one to talk, Mr. Hero, what is it again you strive for?"

"I don't want to be a hero just to be famous," Zack shook his head. "I want to be a hero because of the type of person I'm going to have to become to earn it. The kind of guy people admire, the guy who saves lives and makes the world safe. You know, someone Seeeeeph, er, well, you know," he said, stopping himself from saying the name as Aerith began to tense. "Besides, being a hero is something everyone dreams of, right?"

"Not me. Heroism is a joke. There are no heroes, because there's no one right side. Take AVALANCHE, Shinra's heroes are their demons. You want to be a hero, fine, just remember, the only heroes in Shinra are monsters to everyone else."

"That's not true. Being a good person isn't subjective, you just have to trust in your own judgment and your own path, and that's enough."

"You're too idealistic and naïve," Aerith rolled her eyes.

"And you're too cynical and jaded," Zack countered. Aerith glared at him, and the elevator doors slid open on the ground floor. Zack looked out and let out a breath.

"So, lunch? Or did I ruin the good mood?" he asked.

"You did. But I'm seeing the city one way or the other, so you're my tour guide," she said. "And it'll cheer me up to finally get out of this place."

"Right. Come on." The two walked across the lobby, Aerith observing it for the first time. There were no security personnel or scientists or SOLDIER members here, just secretaries and businessmen and women and tourists, many of them in dress wear or casual clothes. There was an electronic beeping, and Aerith reached into her pocket for her cellphone.

"That's odd," she said, flipping it open. "Got a new kind of alert."

"Let me see." Zack came around to look at her phone. "Oh, it's an email from the company. I guess since you're a normal operative now you're part of the info loop. I got one just now too."

"Nice," Aerith smiled again. Another nice new perk of her new freedom. She could get used to this. She watched Zack press the buttons on his phone to open the email and he read off the text on his screen.

"This is a Shinra Electric Power Company bulletin announcing a tragic loss," he said aloud, his expression turning dire. "During a mission to Kalm, SOLDIER First Class Genesis Rhapsodos was killed in action. Further details are classified. Memorial services for the public will be held Friday. Shinra personnel are to await instructions later today regarding the handling of company matters concerning Genesis."

"Genesis was killed?" Aerith whispered. She looked around the lobby and noticed several other people reading their cellphones too. It must have gone out to the entire company just now."

"No way," Zack shook his head. "I spoke to Sephiroth earlier, he said Genesis was fine, he just didn't come back."

"Maybe he was lying, Shinra wouldn't want him spilling the beans, right?" Aerith asked.

"I guess…" Zack muttered. "Aw man, Angeal…"

"Where is he now?" Aerith asked.

"I don't know, he's been a bit mysterious since yesterday, haven't seen much of him."

"Maybe that's why they decided to let me out more," Aerith suggested. "Fill the void…"

"Feeling quilty? He takes off and you get your freedom."

"I'm not the one who did it, so no." Aerith looked at the doors of the build and snapped her phone shut. The sun-lit streets of the city stretched out, blurred by the glass, and she swelled. She had never seen the city before, not outside of TV footage and simulations. The tension left her body in a whoosh as the full realization of her new freedoms hit her. Sephiroth had been right after all – it was time for her to begin her future.

"Come on. Midgar's calling."


	8. Chapter 8

**No your eyes do not deceive, this is an update. College and lack of interest kept me down on this during the first few months of 2013, but I'm on summer break now and wanna try to get this going again. Feedback is very appreciated, really, I confess I get discouraged if I think people aren't interested in my work and I really like these story concepts here, so drop a review!**

Mother's Legacy

Chapter 8

* * *

To her great disappointment, Aerith was underwhelmed by Midgar itself. The city's paved streets and dull green and brown and grey buildings faded into an indecipherable mess as Zack lead her through them, telling her about the city. Most of it were things she already knew between the news reports and her education, founded by Shinra to be their seat of power, formed by eight smaller villages united under Shinra, now the Sectors of the city. She was grateful to have him with her, she would have gotten lost on her own.

As they walked, Aerith noticed the civilian population, sparse though it was, occasionally giving her odd looks and heard faint whispers from people she and Zack passed. She recognized the looks from the Thirds and wagered the whispering was of the same, the surprise and confusion over seeing a woman in a SOLDIER uniform. A part of her had wondered if Shinra made her existence public, but in hindsight she now realized that was a dumb question. Of course her existence wasn't open knowledge, she wasn't a First or one of their 'heroes', why would the public care who she was or Shinra want them to know about her? That would change soon.

"We're here," Zack grinned, pushing open the dark doors to a restaurant. Aerith looked up at the sign.

"The Dancing Cactuar," she muttered, a green figure posed as if running forming the body of a sign with the name written over it in neon lights. "I want a real meal, Zack."

"Relax, this place is great, may not look like much but they have an awesome cook," Zack assured her, waving her inside. Aerith followed. The restaurant was more a small café, a long counter running along the length of the narrow interior with tables in front of the windows. It wasn't lit very brightly, and some sort of guitar music played gently in the background over the radio.

"My confidence is not heightened," she muttered.

"Helena?" Zack called, turning his head. The place was empty, but Aerith could hear distant sounds in the back. The door to the kitchens opened and a blond head of hair poked out, brown eyes widening.

"Zack! Oh hi!" Helena said. "Sorry about not being out there, Keiran is still having trouble with the new doors to the freezer."

"No sweat," Zack grinned as Helena walked closer.

"Who's your friend?" Helena asked, turning to Aerith.

"She's Aerith. Get used to her, you'll be seeing a lot of us here together from now on."

"Don't bet on it," Aerith muttered.

"She your girlfriend?" Helena asked, winking.

"If you _dare_ answer that the way I know you're about to," Aerith cut in as she saw Zack's mouth begin to move, "you'll be hobbling back to the tower when we're done." Zack gave her a knowing smirk and shrugged at Helana.

"You heard the lady," he said. Helena nodded with a smile.

"So the usual?" Helena asked.

"Sure, what you want Aerith?"

"Surprise me."

"Two, I guess."

Helena nodded and walked back into the kitchens, leaving Zack to sit down at a counter and wait for Aerith to sit down opposite him.

"She seems nice, huh?" Zack prompted.

"How much have you flirted with her?" Aerith asked dryly.

"Hey!" Zack cried defensively. Aerith looked at him. "…not that much," Zack admitted. "Loosen up, you're out, you're about, you're eating in a real restaurant. Isn't this what you've always wanted?"

"I guess," Aerith muttered. "It'll take time to sink in, I suppose." To herself she admitted she was disappointed both with the new world open to her now, and with herself for not embracing it. _"What was it Genesis quoted one time? 'Freedom is its own objective'. Makes sense. Being free for the sake of being free…the novelty is wearing away fast." _She was free now, but for what? To go about Midgar? Why, it wasn't like she'd be getting to know the city for any real reason. Missions, maybe. That was something, Aerith realized, she could look around Midgar and familiarize herself with it for when she had to take on a task here. If nothing else it would distract her for a while from her own confusing emotions.

"So what's this 'usual'?" Aerith asked.

"Bacon cheeseburger with wedge fries," Zack said simply.

"Never heard of either," Aerith said.

"Really? Wow you've gotta get out more," Zack quipped. "Trust me, it's good." Aerith made a sound of acknowledgement, and Zack looked at her curiously as she looked over her shoulder to examine the restaurant. She really didn't know what to make of the place, he noticed. He had heard the tales that she was never let out of the building, but he didn't think they were absolutely true. "You know…you never have told me how you came to be raised in Shinra."

"I know," Aerith said, not turning around.

"Must have been sheltered if you're reacting this strangely to just eating out."

"Bait me all you like, won't work," she said evenly. Zack made a face as she shut him down.

_"For all her hatred, she and Sephiroth are too much alike sometimes," _he thought, keeping the comment to himself because he knew what type of retaliation it would provoke.

"For that matter," Aerith said suddenly, "how come you latched onto me ever since you joined SOLDIER?"

"What, a guy can't just like a cute girl?" Zack winked. Aerith snorted.

"You like all girls regardless of looks."

"That's not true," Zack said defensively. "I mean, not only if they're cute, but…wow, that was a loaded statement."

"Yup," Aerith smirked. Zack looked away from her and did a double take as he saw out the window. Aerith noticed and turned her head where he was looking.

"They come here often?" she muttered, giving Zack a sideways look.

"Now and then," Zack admitted. "Didn't think they'd show today." The doors to the restaurant opened, two men and two women, all four in black suits, stepping inside.

"Best thing about this place – it's slow," one of them said. Aerith looked over her shoulder. She recognized one of them from Junon, Reno. The other man with him she didn't know, he had medium-length black hair, glasses, and a jagged scar under his cheek. The two women, one had long dark gray hair, the other, shorter red hair.

"Know them?" she whispered.

"The cute redhead is Cissnei, the other woman is Esma. Cissnei's cool, Esma's a bit quiet. Don't know the guy in the glasses," Zack replied. The woman he had called Cissnei turned her head.

"Hey Zack," she called softly. "Who's this?"

"Yo," Zack said, lifting his hand in a wave. "You probably never met her. Aerith, say hi,"

"No thanks."

"Aerith," the man in the glasses said, narrowing his eyes slightly as he turned to her. "The Second Class? I thought you were under restricted movements. No exit from the building."

"I've been freed up," she replied, turning her head his way. "Didn't you get the memo?"

"We've received no notifications of this."

"Happened earlier today, ask Lazard."

"As you wish." The man took out his cellphone and flipped through the menu.

"Hiya Aerith," Reno waved. "Meet Cissnei, Esma, and Mr. Policy, who also goes by Errol." Errol lifted his phone to his ear.

"Director Lazard, Errol of the Turks. I'm inquiring about the status of SOLDIER Second Class Aerith…" Errol waited. "I see. Apologies for disturbing you sir…I will. Thank you." He hung up. "Apologies, he hasn't sent out the notifications of your status update yet."

"You can apologize by letting me enjoy my first meal out of that building in peace," Aerith said. Errol nodded and walked away, sitting in a booth on the other end of the building.

"Talk about your cold shoulder," Reno snickered, following him. Cissnei and Esma followed him in turn, Cissnei waving at Zack again.

"Friends with the Turks?" Aerith asked.

"SOLDIER works with them sometimes, they're intelligence and special ops, we're the muscle. Why, got something against them?"

"No. Just curious." Aerith really didn't have anything against the Turks, but she had learned to avoid them as a matter of principle. The Turks were higher-ranking than her, she heard they operated outside standard company hierarchy, their commander reporting directly to the President and their briefings coming from the same. The arrangement meant they were another group Aerith couldn't trust as friends or allies, because their loyalties were outside her small, confined world in SOLDIER.

"Here's your order Zack," Helena walked up to the table, setting down two plates. "I gotta serve them, I'll trust you to pay on the way out."

"Thanks," Zack grinned. Aerith looked at her plate – what did Zack say those were, wedge fries? – and picked up her burger with strips of baking poking out from the sides.

"Go ahead, dig in," Zack encouraged her, taking a bite of his own. "Get used to good food like that, unless you object we're gonna be coming here a lot." Aerith mentally shrugged and bit in, chewing cautiously.

_"Not bad,"_ she admitted.

* * *

"Letting her out is premature at this time, sir. It isn't too late to reconsider," Hojo hissed.

"With Genesis gone and the usefulness of Sephiroth and Angeal in doubt for the immediate future, we need operatives to contain the AVALANCHE situation. Aerith is needed now, not when you decide we can use her," President Shinra replied.

"But she's a valuable specimen, letting her run wild will endanger the integrity of the project!"

"Valuable specimen?" Lazard smirked beside him. "You make no secret of her inferiority to Sephiroth. What value is she to you?"

"I told you, she's reached the projected age, the cells are due to begin maturing," Hojo said. "Her powers could be growing exponentially as we speak, and if I can't monitor her in a controlled environment and see what's actually happening to her, there's no telling what she could do."

"You've kept her under lock and key for years now, professor, and for what? To wait and see what happens?" Lazard asked.

"You can't rush science of this magnitude. You know as well as I do that the samples are running low, we can't keep the specimen viable forever and any batch could be the last one. Unless I can study Aerith and develop new theories, the days of SOLDIER are done."

"You will have your data, professor, there is nothing stopping your regular examinations from proceeding as usual," President Shinra said. "However, we need Aerith now more than you do. I and SOLDIER owe you a debt for your experimentations, consider this repayment."

"This isn't some financial agreement you can cash in any time you want!" Hojo protested.

"Mind who you speak to," President Shinra said lowly. "We do not fund you so you can experiment however you like, you are funded to develop the methods of SOLDIER augmentation to new heights, and you have done exceedingly well at that. But unless you have proof to back up your arguments that confining Aerith will aid in that goal, then she will continue to be employed as a field operative and not as your lab mouse. Are we clear?"

"No!" Hojo snapped.

"Too bad," the President cut off before he could continue. "Now, Lazard, you had business as well?"

"Yes sir. Reports from Kalm in the aftermath of Genesis' vanishing act." Lazard handed the President a file folder, which he took and flipped open. "Rude and Tseng are trying to keep a lid on things down there, but suspicions are mounting. And there's been suspicious activity around the caves. The two of them have tried to investigate alone, but there's been too many people there to avoid detection."

"AVALANCHE?"

"Likely, given the timing of Genesis going missing. Though it would be a grievous circumstance, we must face the likely possibility that Genesis is a turncoat."

"No great loss. We don't need a failed experiment clogging our ranks, especially one so easily swayed away," Hojo sneered.

"Genesis was an invaluable member of our ranks, Hojo. His loss is heavy, for more than one reason," President Shinra corrected. "We're facing more issues now than just AVALANCHE's mischief. Genesis was one of the most beloved SOLDIERs of the public, both for his combat skills and his scholarly pursuits. If he were to side with AVALANCHE, who already trumpet nonsense about fighting for the planet, he could be the symbol they need to rally other disgruntled enemies of ours to their cause. And the people will grow uneasy, even here."

"The heroes of SOLDIER help pacify them, give us a better name and help cover up the more unsavory aspects of our rise to power," Lazard agreed. "To have one abandon us is bound to get people thinking about why he might do so."

"Well, we can't have them start 'thinking' can we?" the president snorted. "Suggestions, Lazard?"

"Smoke and mirrors, smudge Genesis's name and seed doubt about how righteous he truly was. And at the same time replace him with a new symbol, one more striking, to draw attention."

"Yes, good…what about Aerith?"

"Her?" Hojo muttered.

"The first and only female SOLDIER, a young up-and-comer in Second, and just as powerful as any First. I can't say I can think of a more suitable foil to Sephiroth and Angeal."

"She may be powerful, but she's not among my top choices for the most charismatic or likeable of our ranks," Lazard said, wary.

"A trivial concern. Charisma can be taught more easily than skill, with the right teacher. See that she gets one, Lazard. And get Veld and the Turks on cooking up some sort of story for her. Something tragic but triumphant I think, adversity breeding a warrior has a fairy tale aspect to it that should take well. Questions are going to be asked about her past, and we'll need the right answers. Get to it."

"Yes sir," Lazard bowed his head and hurried away.

"And you, Professor, I'm sure you've some gene code or chemical formula to work on," President Shinra said dismissively.

"Mr. President, I must again voice my protest on usage of Aerith," Hojo said.

"Of course you must," the president smirked, sipping his coffee.

"She is a delicate experiment, the metamorphosis she's about to undergo could make her unstable. Putting her in the spotlight suddenly is dangerous. She's not simply a toy we can play with."

"I must disagree, Professor," President Shinra cut off. "If you'll recall our conversations about her when you first proposed your ideas for the new Project, that was _precisely_ the usage we kept her alive for." He smiled. "Besides, all tests of new equipment need a beta, a trial run, don't they? Consider this such a trial run, to prepare our public and our public relations for the rise of the next generation of SOLDIER."

* * *

"The meal would have been better without the Turks watching us like vultures," Aerith muttered as Zack lead her back to Shinra.

"It's their job, gotta know everything or something like that," he shrugged. Aerith once again noticed the people they passed in the streets watching her. There were more people now, Zack said the work day was beginning and people were on their way to jobs and their children on their way to school. She saw them turn heads to stare at her, but no one had the courage to confront the two SOLDIER members casually going about their day. Aerith was grateful for it, she didn't care to be interrogated by random members of the public.

"So how long before we get our first assignment?" Zack asked.

"Don't know, Lazard said we'll be used as needed but it'll take a few days for the bureaucratic stuff to clear. For missions we're being confined to Midgar – or at least I am. Guess if you're out on your own I'm stuck at home."

"That's a drag," Zack muttered. "Well, if you've got full clearance to the tower now, I can show you around while we wait for something to come in."

"Well, what all are we allowed? Is there anything worth visiting regularly besides the training room?" Aerith asked.

"A bit. 56 through 58 are the barracks, but 58 is for Firsts so it's restricted. 54 and 55 are for security, we're allowed around any time but no real reason to go. 52 and 53 are Weapon Development, we occasionally go there to pick up or help test equipment. Lazard's office is on 51, 50 is a briefing area, and below that aside from 49 I think it's just offices, we aren't allowed in them. 64 is a recreational area, exercise machines and the like. That's about it."

"So aside from 64, no not much to do there," Aerith summarized.

"Nope," Zack agreed. "Sorry. Expecting more?"

"A bit. The real pleasure will be when I can start taking on missions, then I'll be out of that place so often I won't care there's nothing in the building worth visiting," Aerith smiled. The two crossed the street, the Shinra Headquarters coming closer. Aerith stopped and turned her head as a billboard on a building caught her eye.

"What is it?" Zack asked, stopping and turning back to her.

"LOVELESS?" Aerith asked, the billboard showing two male figures dueling as a female looked on. Laying behind them in the background was a wounded third male. Down the street was what looked like a theater, people coming up and a news camera crew with a reporter set up on the sidewalk.

"Yeah, it was adapted as a play, big hit here in Midgar. Didn't you know?" Zack asked, walking back to her. "Genesis goes on about it all the time."

"That explains why I didn't know, I tune Genesis out," Aerith replied. "Or…used to tune. Tuned him out." It felt odd to talk about Genesis in the past tense. He surely wasn't dead, Zack said Sephiroth confirmed he lived. But he may have just been keeping to a cover story, everyone knew Shinra had their operatives memorize 'official' versions of events more palatable for public knowledge. There was no way to be sure. She could ask people but of course she wouldn't know for sure if they replied truthfully. Aerith supposed she'd be given the same sort of treatment now, told lies to repeat to others.

"Last version of the play I heard, three friends are serving in the war, the Hero, the Prisoner, and the Traveler. The Prisoner is captured by enemy forces, and he escapes and is taken care of by a woman in the enemy nation that he falls in love with. The Traveler becomes a nomad, seeking the Gift of the Goddess thinking it can end the war and fighting both sides to find it. The Hero follows the Traveler, and as the Prisoner tries to end the war himself and gets killed, the Hero and the Traveler fight for the Gift of the Goddess. There's been a lot of other versions though, in some all three of them fight in the end, in one the woman was a lover to all three of them at different times, in one version the woman was the Goddess all along. No one knows what the original poems really mean, so they keep changing the play to keep it fresh and portray different interpretations."

"Sounds stupid," Aerith said dryly. "How long are the poems?"

"Five chapters, the first two are each four lines, the third has six and the fourth has eight. The fifth chapter has never been found, so no one knows how it ends," Zack said.

"And they made a whole play out of that?" Aerith snorted.

"Well it's a huge mystery, no one knows who wrote it or how long ago. A lot of scholars have studied the verses trying to figure it out."

"I repeat, sounds stupid. It's a poem, for all we know it was written by some nobody trying to get into his girlfriend's pants," Aerith said.

"As usual, you're too cynical," Zack laughed. "I've read it, I don't think there's anything to it either, but some of the symbolism people connect to it makes sense. Some have connected it to old Cetra legends and the like."

"Right," Aerith nodded. She'd heard about the Cetra, mythical ancient beings that were supposed to be able to talk to the planet and could command the Lifestream to bring life to wastelands. It sounded like silly fairy tale stuff to her, but at least there was _some_ basis in fact for their actual existence. LOVELESS, well if Zack knew the work enough to know that no one knew who wrote it or when, it was pointless to spin stories out of it.

"Genesis used to write reviews of the play, every time they updated it to fit a new interpretation. His reviews stayed the same most of the time, though. Said it was a poor adaptation, skewed the viewpoints of the three to focus on a forced romance and downplayed and simplified the symbolic aspects," Zack said.

"Well if he hates it, it must be good," Aerith smirked. "Come on, I wanna get back and look around and this LOVELESS talk is annoying." She looked down the street, more people were coming and the news camera crew looked to be packing up. "And there's a crowd coming."

"Yeah, the newest version premiered today…Genesis said he had a ticket." Zack's voice turned melancholy at the second part of the sentence. Aerith didn't blame him. Even if he was a twit, Genesis was a SOLDIER like them. Aerith turned away and walked towards the Shinra Headquarters.

"By the way, like your gift?" Zack asked, coming up beside her.

"Gift?"

"For your one-year anniversary in SOLDIER," Zack clarified. "I left it on your door handle, didn't you get it?"

"Oh, yeah. Right. Didn't open it," Aerith shrugged. "Told you I don't like jewelry. Gets in the way when I'm training and is a waste of money."

"I know. It wasn't jewelry though," Zack replied. "Wasn't anything big, just something I thought might look good on you. I got it to match your uniform."

"Mm. I'll check it out," Aerith shrugged again.

* * *

Clicking the door to her room shut, Aerith stretched. Her first outing to Midgar had been disappointing, but in hindsight she wasn't all that sure what she had been expecting. The lunch had been nice, but the attention she had gotten, she had mixed feelings about. She wanted to be famous, but didn't like having to deal with all the stares and whispers. She was a female SOLDIER, not a mutant. They would get used to her in time, of course. Her first mission or assignment, once she was cleared for them, she would prove to the world what she could really do and it would make the news.

Aerith laid back on her bed, tilting her head up to look at the opposite wall. Thinking for a moment, she pulled out her cellphone and called up the email she had gotten about Genesis earlier. She pondered the announcement again. Sephiroth had been in an oddly good mood when he had taken her to see Lazard, too good a mood for someone who had watched his best friend die a couple days earlier. Maybe the announcement really was a cover-up? Shrugging mentally Aerith scrolled down the email to the contact information at the bottom, and hit the button to call the number displayed. She raised it to her ear and waited.

_"Director Lazard." _A voice answered after two rings.

"Director, it's Aerith," she replied.

_"Yes Aerith, how can I help?"_

"You said before I have all freedoms allowed to normal Seconds, right?"

_"Yes, save for restrictions to Midgar for missions."_

"Does that extend to personal comforts?" Aerith asked.

_"Indeed. What did you have in mind?"_

"Someone removing the bars and screws from my window. I might like to get a good look sometime," Aerith said, standing and moving to the small window she had. "Maybe open it now and then."

_"I'll pass along your request to maintenance, they should be able to come by tomorrow. Anything else I can do for you?" _Lazard replied. Aerith smiled. She was quickly getting to like the Director.

"No thank you, sir. You've done plenty for me today," she said sincerely.

_"You're quite welcome, Aerith." _Lazard hung up and Aerith flipped her phone closed, slipping it into her pocket. She ran a finger along the bars, then turned and looked up at the security camera set into the high corner of the room. She momentarily considered calling Lazard back and asking for its removal too, but didn't want to press her luck. Besides, she had gotten used to it, with her other shackles loosened or removed a camera watching her in private wasn't so bad, she guessed.

"Well…could head up to the exercise floor," Aerith thought to herself. Floor 64, she recalled Zack mentioning. She approached the door and looked over at the shelf of books above her desk. LOVELESS gleamed back at her, gold text on pink standing out boldly. Her attention turned from it to the small red box beside it. Aerith reached out to take it, taking the note from Zack off the lid and flipping it open.

A bright pink ribbon greeted her, a small light green pearl tied in the center with a small gold chain. Aerith set the box down and picked up the ribbon, running it through her fingers. She walked to the mirror in her room and reached behind her head, removing the simple elastic band around her ponytail and tying the ribbon into a bow in its place, the green pearl on top. Aerith took a moment to look at her reflection, bright pink material emerging from the top of her head, and turned her head to get a better look at it. She turned back and stared.

"…I look ridiculous," she muttered after a moment, reaching up and pulling the ribbon loose. She looked down at it. "Then again…he did buy it for me just to be nice, and he'll be expecting me to wear it," she thought. Aerith thought for a few seconds, then rolled the sleeve of her uniform up. The healing red scab from where Elfé had sliced her was still there. Aerith wrapped the ribbon around her upper arm twice, concealing the wound and trying the ribbon up with the pearl again on display. She pulled the sleeve of her uniform down and looked at it. The bump of the pearl was the only visible sign she had something underneath the red fabric.

"Well, I'm wearing it, so he can't complain," she said, smiling slightly. She reached into her pocket and approached the door, swiping her ID through the card reader.

**Esma and Errol are based in appearance on two Before Crisis Turks, Katana (Male) and Martial Arts (Female). Their personalities are entirely original, however.**


	9. Chapter 9

Mother's Legacy

Chapter 9

* * *

Aerith's eyes watched the ground below, dirty brown and grey wasteland slowly fading into bright green grassland. In a sense, she had been on a helicopter hundreds of times, but they were all simulators. Rushing through the air suspended only by a metal cage with a propeller was exhilarating, the land rushing by below, the roar of the blades overhead. And of course, none of them had actually put her outside of the Shinra building. She felt like a child but she wanted to just ask the pilot to land and let her just roam the countryside for a while. Something about leaving that wasteland behind and being out in the open fields with visible grass, trees and flowers made her feel more alive, like she had just awoken from a long nap.

_"Not the time to be sappy," _she scolded herself. She could enjoy the sights later when she and Zack were on missions outside Midgar and she wasn't being supervised. For now, she had to focus on the objective and get it done, it was her first assignment and she wasn't about to screw it up and make a bad first impression. Aerith thought back to the train missions and similar insertions.

"We are doing an air drop, right?" she called over the noise of the vehicle.

"No, land and drop," Errol answered on the other side of the car. "I'm the commanding officer for this mission, I'll be accompanying you two to the cave entrance. Should anything go amiss, report to me and I'll radio it in. We have Turk operatives undercover in Kalm in case we need them, they can be at the cave to help in minutes if you give the word."

"Right," Aerith nodded. She was glad that the Turks would only be intervening if needed, she didn't want anyone stealing the spotlight from her and Zack. Zack was quiet beside her, looking around in disinterest. She figured he was used to this sort of outing. Her though, her mind was racing.

* * *

_ "You've been given your first assignment for the company," Lazard said, handing a file folder to Zack. He opened it and Aerith leaned over to look at it. A few sheets of paperwork and paperclipped photos showing troops moving around a cave entrance were inside. Aerith recognized the emblem on their uniforms, AVALANCHE troops. "You're being sent to the outskirts of Kalm. Errol of the Turks will supervise."_

_ "What's the objective?" Aerith asked._

_ "First, let me make it clear that this mission is classified," Lazard said sternly. "We are quite reluctant to send you here for your first assignment, Aerith, but we need an operative skilled in hand-to-hand combat and at the moment any superior candidates are unavailable. We would normally send Angeal or Sephiroth for this sort of mission, but they have been deemed emotionally unfit given the circumstances." Aerith and Zack looked up. Sephiroth, emotionally unfit? "Genesis was not killed in action. He went missing. We don't know how or why, he and Sephiroth were alone in the field, and he did not return to the specified pick-up point on-time."_

_ "So, the rumors were true," Aerith said, grimacing slightly._

_ "Yes, and for the rest of the company, you two will keep them as rumors, speaking of this to anyone will be considered an act of insubordination," Lazard warned. "Your objective is to find Genesis, or to find evidence of what happened to him. He and Sephiroth were to scout out a cave system believed to be housing an anti-Shinra resistance force. We didn't think anything of it at the time, but given our current intelligence, it is likely that if there was indeed such a force there, and all our evidence says there is, it is part of AVALANCHE."_

_ "Any orders other than find Genesis?" Zack asked._

_ "Capture all possible AVALANCHE operatives and secure their equipment. We know little about them, our prisoners from Junon have been tight-lipped, and we need to learn more soon, before they strike again. And let me repeat so we are undoubtedly clear," Lazard leaned forward and looked between them, locking eyes, "Genesis's status does not leave the three of us. The public story will remain the official version of events to all, inside Shinra and out, until further notice. If he is confirmed dead then nothing else will be done, if we cannot determine his fate we will continue investigating. But if you find him alive, whatever his status otherwise, no one, not even Sephiroth and Angeal, are to be told. Understood?"_

_ "Yes sir," Zack and Aerith replied in unison. Aerith understood now why the two of them were being sent over Shinra's poster children. She thought back to the rumors about Genesis. If he had gone missing, either he had been killed or captured by AVALANCHE, or he had betrayed Shinra and joined them. Angeal and Sephiroth were already torn up about him going missing, having to deal with how it happened first-hand would be too much for them to handle without their judgment being compromised._

_ "Good. The deployment level will ferry you to the airport, we have a helicopter waiting to take you to Kalm."_

* * *

_"Rescuing Genesis would be a nice headline,"_ Aerith thought to herself. If they did find Genesis alive, how would Shinra handle it, she wondered. On the one hand if he was a traitor, they'd have to face up to the fact that AVALANCHE would be much more dangerous than they thought now. AVALANCHE's inside knowledge was clearly the work of a mole, it would make sense if it was Genesis. He knew Shinra inside and out, along with Angeal and Sephiroth the three of them practically had President Shinra as personal cellphone contacts. Anything he knew, AVALANCHE would know. And the company would have to crack down security and make drastic changes in anticipation of his knowledge being used.

On the other hand, if he was alive and just captured, should Aerith free him, what then? Would Shinra get rid of him and stick to the official story he had been killed, or correct themselves and bring him back into the fold? Aerith hoped the latter, if Genesis was captured and she saved him, the news coverage would be unprecedented. Her name had thus far gone unmentioned when she had seen and read coverage of the Junon incident, the reports just said SOLDIER had repelled AVALANCHE. She didn't fault them, it was a large scale battle. But this, this was a personal assignment, just her, Zack and Errol. She would get credit for this mission's success if they got Genesis back alive. She _had_ to.

"We're nearing the landing area," Errol said, looking out the window. "We're landing some distance away from the city and the main cave we observed. We've looked at old mining maps and believe the cave near our point of landing connects to them, but it's not been active so that is where we'll make our entry. We're trying to play it quiet, don't alert them if you can avoid being detected."

_"Bor-ring," _Aerith thought, rolling her eyes. Her first mission in the field and it was expected to be a stealth operation. Zack must have had the same train of thought because he leaned across the helicopter as Errol turned his head to speak to the pilots.

"Relax, stealth is preferred, not mandatory, the worst they'll do if you make a ruckus is give you a lecture and maybe restricted movements for a day," he whispered. "Besides, if we get caught there's nothing we can do to fix it, right?" Aerith nodded, smiling slightly. Restricted movements was not an option, she had just gotten her movement rights freed up at last, she wasn't about to lose them on her first assignment and make a poor first impression. But Zack had said that was a maybe, he must have been used to such breach of orders with little lasting consequence.

"Two Shinra infantry troops and myself will take up positions at the entrance to the cave guards," Errol said, turning his attention back to them. "The helicopter will not be available for evacuation until we call it, so if you are in trouble run back to the entrance and tell us you're coming so we can call the copter. If you get stuck and cannot escape, we will attempt to rescue you only if we can do so safely. If you're a lost cause, then you're lost." Aerith tensed slightly. She had no intention of getting trapped and unable to help herself, but the warning was unnerving, that she and Zack would be deemed expendable if they got into too much trouble to be worth saving. She was a valuable specimen to Hojo she knew, surely Errol had orders to save her if she needed it. Or maybe out of spite for her earning her freedom Hojo would have the Turks leave her for dead.

_"Doesn't matter, it ain't gonna happen one way or the other," _she promised. Errol handed them each a small device with a cord running from it. Aerith looked it over. It was a curved piece of black plastic with a small button on a bud-like bulb on one end. A small protrusion twisted out from the other end.

"Earpieces," Errol explained at her curiosity. "Plug them into your cellphone and I'll dial your numbers, they'll take care of the rest. Constant contact, report anything you find immediately. If I give the word to withdraw, you obey it without question. Understood?"

"Yeah," Aerith nodded, slipping the device over her ear and twisting the microphone down to her cheek as she watched Zack do the same. She slipped the cord down the shirt of her uniform and pulled it out the bottom end, reaching into her pocket and plugging it into her cellphone.

The helicopter touched down, and Errol slip open the doors. Aerith, Zack, and two soldiers in Shinra infantry uniforms climbed out. Errol called something to the pilot and jumped out behind them. He slid the door shut and the helicopter lifted into the air and flew away. Aerith looked around. It was a cave by the seaside, the beach was visible not far away across a grassy field. The cave entrance was in the side of a dip in the ground, from above it would look like a normal hill unless you came at it from the front. A good choice for a covert entry, she realized.

_"Aerith, Zack, roger me?" _Aerith jumped slightly at a crackling in her ear. Errol's voice. She turned to see the Turk holding his cellphone to his ear, and he looked at her. She nodded. _"Good. Press the button on the piece to respond, let's make sure they work." _Aerith reached up to her ear and pressed the small black button on the other side of the speaker.

"Got me?" she asked.

_"Zack here, check one-two," _Zack's voice sounded in her ear and a few feet from her in unison.

_"Good. Let's move,"_ Errol ordered, heading to the cave. Aerith, Zack and the infantry troops followed. Errol reached into his pocket as they reached the entrance and held out his hand. Two small green orbs were in his palm.

"Fire Materia, use them as needed," he said. Aerith and Zack took them and slipped the Materia into their gauntlets.

"Any orders other than what's been said?" Zack asked.

"Try to stick together, but if you have no choice, split up. I know you two are friends, but if one of you is in trouble and I order the other back, take it. Better one of you be trapped then both," Errol said sternly.

_"Bullshit," _Aerith thought sourly. If Zack needed her she was going to be there, and a quick glance at him to find him looking at her confirmed he would do the same. Shinra should have known better than to try and make that an order.

"If there's nothing else, go. Try to be quick and quiet, remember," Errol ordered. The two SOLDIERs nodded, and Zack led the way into the cave. Aerith followed, looking behind her as Errol crouched behind a rocky outcropping in the wall of the hill outside. The two infantry moved into the cave and melted into the shadows.

_"Practiced and clean. They're done this dozens of times," _Aerith thought. The fears of her own inexperience crept up on her and she pushed them away just as quickly. She followed Zack into the cave, her partner sticking to the walls. Aerith did the same, noting that as Errol had said, it was an old mining system. Mine tracks ran down the center of the cave, piles of rock, dirt and digging tools around a larger area at the mouth of the cave.

"Nervous?" Zack whispered as they came to a turn to the left.

_"Yes."_

"Please. We've already kicked their asses at Junon, this will be a snap," Aerith said aloud. The two moved quickly down the twisting path, two more turns each going right. The path was also curving down, Aerith noted.

_"Anything yet?" _Errol's voice cracked in her ear. Zack pressed his hand to his ear.

"Nothing sir," he replied. After the next turn and a steeper drop down, they came to a fork.

"The path splits, sir," Zack said into his earpiece.

_"Stick together."_

"Which way then?" Aerith asked. Looking down either fork for signs of movement, Zack drew his sword over his head and sliced at the bottom of a support beam, making a small "X" in the wood, then a vertical line on the left side of it.

"Left first, we find nothing, the right," he said. Aerith nodded. The two moved on, the path straight for a time, then curving to the right again. Aerith fell behind slightly, watching behind them in case there was action behind them, perhaps someone from the other fork, but there was nothing. The cave was still silent, and there were no signs anyone was here. Zack stopped and held up a hand. Aerith halted behind him as she turned. She pressed a hand to her ear.

"What is it?" she asked into the microphone, too far to speak to him directly without risking being heard.

_"Voices. Get up here,"_ Zack responded.

_"Do not engage, stay hidden, if they see you try to take them out quietly and hide the bodies. Do not kill unless you have no choice,"_ Errol ordered. Aerith forgot he could hear them, she wasn't used to this system. She came up behind Zack as he slowly edged forward along the wall, peaking around the corner.

"Can't see them, can still hear them. Hard to tell where they are, it's echoing," he said, holding the button on his earpiece down.

_"Move in, carefully." _Errol replied. The two moved forward, keeping close to the wall. The cave turned again, and Zack ducked into a crouch and slowed down. He reached the corner and looked around it, then quickly drew his head back. Aerith raised her eyebrows, and Zack nodded. Aerith raised her hand to her ear, and Zack quickly shook his head and mouthed the words "too close". Aerith nodded and lowered her hand. Not for the first time she was grateful he knew more about protocol than she did and had field experience to back it up. Zack edged his head back to the beam and pressed the button for his earpiece. Aerith grew annoyed after his warning, but realized what he was doing when he didn't talk. Instead, the voices from the cave ahead came through on the microphone.

_"Come on, pick up the pace, the ship is moving out in an hour."_

_ "I'm trying, this shit is heavy. Stupid Shinra crap, why do we need so much of it?"_

_ "The scientist kept paper records instead of electronic, paranoid about people stealing his data."_

_ "Scientist? Shinra?" _Aerith thought, her eyes widening. Then her suspicions were confirmed, there _was_ a mole in the company, and not Genesis. Someone in the Science Department was a rat. She thought who, but the only member she interacted with regularly enough to know by name was Hojo, and he wouldn't be the traitor, it just didn't seem like him.

_"If you can, get closer and see what they're doing,"_ Errol's voice ordered. Zack slowly peeked his head around the corner. He kept his head out for a few seconds, then drew back and cupped a hand to his mouth.

_"We can sneak behind a stack of old mine carts, but we gotta move quick, they're carrying stuff into the cave beyond the chamber so it's clear now. Stick to the left wall and keep low. I'll go first and call for you when it's clear again." _Zack said in her ear. Aerith nodded and mouthed the words "good luck". Zack responded with a grin and a wink. Aerith rolled her eyes again but smiled. Zack looked around the corner, and, moving quicker than she'd have thought he could in a crouch, whipped around the corner. She waited with baited breath, lowering a hand to her staff clipped to her waist and listening for signs of a struggle. After several seconds, Zack's voiced crackled in her ears.

_"I'm good. Wait for my signal."_

"Gotcha," Aerith replied, letting out a breath. The radio stayed open and a minute or so later, again the two voices of the AVALANCHE troops came through.

_"So when's the next target?"_ Aerith perked up.

_"Still gotta finish making sure the others are ready for it. Dunno what those two freaks did to them but they're still asleep and they wanna wait until they wake up."_

_ "Assuming they do. I don't trust those Shinra rats as far as I could throw 'em, who knows what they did."_

_ "The boss says they're valuable allies for now. We can off 'em later if they make trouble. Elfé can take him, don't matter what the papers say, he's human like the rest of us."_

_ "Genesis," _Aerith realized. So, he was a turncoat after all. But their words confirmed there were two traitors, not one, Genesis and some scientist. And, making sure what others were ready? What had been done to them by Shinra's mystery traitor scientist?

_"One more trip should do it, then we just gotta load up the capsules and we're outta here." _The second voice, which seemed to be the superior of the two, was lower in volume than before, and Aerith waited.

_"Okay, come on," _Zack said. Aerith looked around the corner, spying two shadowed forms in the distance, and crept along wall. As Zack had said, there was a stack of old mining carts piled in the corner of a larger chamber. She ducked behind them to see Zack crouched inside one on its side. He nodded with a smile as she came into view.

"See anything else here?" she whispered.

"Peaked around through the cracks in the carts. A bunch of crates and boxes, they're moving them with a hand truck," Zack said. "Also a desk and some lighting stuff. Looked like a makeshift office."

"Sounded like they're moving paperwork for a Shinra scientist," Aerith said.

"Yeah…they're not gonna like that when we get back," Zack nodded. "Genesis is one thing, but a scientist, who knows what they've gotten their hands on."

"We could find out," Aerith suggested. She was itching for battle, and it was just the two of the AVALANCHE soldiers. They had a hiding place for them with the carts, they were obviously transporting data that they had to find out what it was, and they would be easy to take care of. Zack began to reply, then stopped as the two heard footsteps.

"About damn time it's done. When we get to the base, tell the Shinra rat to put this stuff on a disc or something, we ain't moving it all again next time."

"Tell me about it, let's just finish it." Aerith peaked through the cracks of the mine carts to see them moving boxes onto a wooden skid with a hand truck moved under it. She looked down and picked up a small rock. Zack saw her hand move and shook his head as Aerith tossed the rock once in her palm. She looked up at him and he shook his head harder. She shrugged and mouthed "Sorry", then tossed the rock over the pile. The sound of it hitting somewhere came a second later.

"What was that?" The authoritative one asked.

"Something hit a wall somewhere…ya don't think Shinra found us?" the second replied, sounding afraid. Aerith looked through the cracks in the carts to see them staring at the passage they had come from.

"If they did then we gotta move now, we can't take 'em just the two of us. I'll bring the stuff, run to the ship and get back-up," the first said. Aerith made a face and fell back into her crouch. Zack shook his head at her, and she made a fact back. It had been worth a shot, maybe they were stupid. The two looked out over the room to see the authoritative member pulling the hand truck down the passage, his friend gone. Aerith rose to her feet.

"We gotta make a move now, they know we're here," she whispered.

"Yup. Happy?" Zack asked.

"Very," Aerith smirked. She crept along the wall to the other passage and peaked around the corner. The AVALANCHE member had his back to them, pulling the hand truck behind him. Aerith took off at a run, and at the sound he turned and reached over his shoulder to the handle of a sword.

"Down with Shinra!" he shouted, his voice echoing in the cave. Aerith reached him before he could bring his weapon forward and dug a knee into his stomach, doubling him over, then brought her hands down in a club on his neck. He dropped to the ground heavily.

"Well, they definitely know we're here now," Zack said. Aerith ignored his lecturing and looked ahead. The path split again, left and right. There was an odd glow from the left, however, and a loud hum.

"Which way?" she asked.

"We shouldn't, we've gotta pull back," Zack said, pressing his hand to his ear. "Errol, they know we're here. Orders?" Aerith snorted.

"Wimp, we can take them!" she insisted.

_"Go deeper, they'll not look for you in their areas of operation as long as you can stay hidden." _Errol answered. _"If you are spotted, flee immediately."_

"So which way?" Aerith repeated.

"They said there's a ship, so one path has to lead out. The other way, who knows?" Zack said. Aerith looked down the left path, the odd glow and humming intriguing her. There was something about it that unnerved her, but she couldn't put her finger on it. She just had a sense of discomfort as she watched the light. Did Zack sense it too, or was it just her?

"We're splitting up," she announced. "We've gotta to scout out as much as we can before they come back, right? And it'll be easier for us to hide alone."

"…right, I guess. Be careful," Zack said. Aerith nodded and began down the left path, Zack heading down the right. Aerith moved quietly but swiftly along the walls, the humming getting louder and the glow brighter. There was a turn, and Aerith nodded a crate against the wall. She knelt and lifted the lid to find several pickaxes and shovels. She stood and looked around the corner. And her eyes widened.

Several feet down the cave, the cave opened into another chamber, this one longer but smaller than the last. And through the glow was coming from there. Aerith carefully stepped forward, heading no voices or sounds of activity aside from the hum.

Electric lighting had been hung from the ceiling support beams, illuminating the chamber. Desks with several computers, stacks of paperwork and vials and other medical equipment lay near the entrance to the room. Along the walls, three on each side, were six large steel capsules. The glow was coming from round windows set into them, glowing green brightly with green lights pulsing around them. Pipes and wires connected each capsule and ran down the chamber to a roughly doorway-sized hole. Aerith cautiously peaked into one capsule's window. A human was inside, a mask over their face with several small tubes running from it and down into the capsule. They were immersed in a gelatinous blue-green liquid, bubbles of air rising through it. Their hair floated in it, their eyes closed. Aerith stepped down and looked in the window of another capsule. Another human in the same state, and the same liquid.

"What the hell…" she whispered. She looked around the lab and fished out her cellphone, calling up the camera function and quickly snapping pictures of the area. She moved to the other end of the chamber where it narrowed into the smaller opening. Judging from the pickaxes, shovels and a jackhammer nearby, they had dug through the wall. On the other side of the opening, metal plating had been bent back, leading to a catwalk. Aerith took a step through and looked up. A network of ladders, catwalks and piping stretched above. She looked down and saw a large pool below, full of the same blue-green liquid in the capsules. On the sides of the wall, the pipes and wires of the capsules had been crudely welded to attach to the pipes and wires of whatever place this was.

"Errol, Zack,"Aerith said, pressing the button on her earpiece. "Something's wrong here. There's some sort of lab here, and they've dug through the wall to hook up pipes and electricity to some sort of factory. There's a pool of greenish liquid beneath it, dunno what it is."

_"They must have dug into and tapped into the Mako Reactor for Kalm…clever bastards," _Errol said. _"Aerith, retreat now, Zack you too. I fear this is a larger problem than we expected. Shinra will return with a larger force to investigate, you two have done well for now."_

"Yes sir," Aerith nodded. She turned and ran back through the lab. She skidded around the corner of the cave and stopped, her eyes wide.

"I would imagine this is your first mission?" Genesis asked, slowly walking towards her. Aerith stood her ground. "Congratulations on finally taking the field," the ex-SOLDIER smiled, stopping.

"Genesis, what is this place?" Aerith demanded.

"The breeding ground for AVALANCHE's new troops. I hear their scientist has dubbed them 'Ravens'. Not the choice I'd have made, but it works as well as any name," Genesis said, waving his hand through the air. "Fitting, is it not? To destroy Shinra with the same type of forces they would use to subjugate the world. I do hope you didn't hurt them. That would be a most grievous loss, and would demand retribution."

"Destroy Shinra? Don't be ridiculous. You're a lot of things Genesis, a blowhard and an egomaniac to start. But I never figured you a traitor," Aerith accused. She reached her hand to her belt for her staff. She wasn't sure if she could take Genesis in a fight, but it seemed she was going to have to find out.

"You have no place to speak to me of loyalty," Genesis chuckled softly. "What was it you said to me in the simulator? Shinra is trying to take over the world, their soldiers are no heroes, or words to that effect. But now that they give you what you want, suddenly you are entirely loyal?"

"And that justifies you going rogue?" Aerith replied. "What is it _you_ want that you'll betray Shinra to get it?" Genesis looked at her strangely, and spread his arms out to the sides.

_"Infinite in mystery, is the Gift of the Goddess," _he recited. _"We seek it thus, and take to the sky." _

"LOVELESS?" Aerith sneered.

"Act One," Genesis nodded. "The stage is set. The final days are beginning. Your presence here and the rise of AVALANCHE are proof of this," he looked to the side and lowered his arms. "Yet, still, I am uncertain how it may play out. 'Infinite in mystery', indeed. There is Sephiroth, Angeal and myself, but what of you and Zack? Hero, Wanderer, Prisoner, who is who? Would you care to wager a guess for me to ponder over?"

"Nope, wouldn't care at all. LOVELESS is a bunch of nonsense," Aerith muttered.

"It would make sense, of course. Three branches, three friends, any one of us could be eligible for any role…though if one of them were you, 'friend' would be a bit of a misnomer with the current state of affairs," Genesis mused aloud, ignoring her.

"Yup, friend definitely ain't my word for you," Aerith said. Genesis turned his eyes back to her and smiled slightly.

"And, what word to use for you…Aerith, for all the talk you hear of it, tell me. What do you consider to be the meaning of the word 'hero'?"

"Someone who does the right thing. Dumb question."

"Ah, the right thing. But in what manner? Do you do the right thing in being loyal to Shinra? Or, do I do the right thing in trying to save the planet? Does that make us both heroes? Such riddles. Riddles that need solving, urgently."

"Regardless of side you're still a low-winded nutjob," Aerith snorted. "Congratulations. So," Aerith brought her staff out to the side and pressed the button to extend it. "We gonna do this or what?"

"So violent," Genesis should his head sadly. "There is so much you don't know, so much you can't, won't, understand…but you will learn the answers for yourself. In time, when you are ready to look for them. I did not understand myself for so long, but you will come to see as I have," Genesis looked over his shoulder. Aerith heard movement, and wondered if Zack was in trouble. "I'm afraid I must decline your invitation. I've no desire to kill you, not when your role is unclear thus far. I would be loath to find myself regretting the deed later."

"You're more likely to regret not killing me now," Aerith smirked, assuming a fighting stance.

"Perhaps I will. But if it is a mistake, there will be time to correct it later. For now, I have to go make sure Zack is safe. He too may have a role to yet play, and his life cannot be cut short any more than yours can, and my allies are not as merciful or insightful as me." Genesis turned and began to walk away. Aerith looked at him in disbelief, then narrowed her eyes and charged him, swinging her staff. Genesis turned swiftly, caught her weapon, and raised a leg to plant a kick on Aerith's chest, sending her flying back through the cave.

"I _would_ indulge you if I had the time," he said lowly. Aerith grunted and slowly climbed to her feet. Down the cavern, Genesis reached into the pocket of his coat. "But I do not. So, consider this a worthy foe in lieu of me." He withdrew his hand as Aerith climbed to her feet.

"You're not running!" she screamed, running at him. Genesis smiled and threw whatever was in his hand into the air. Aerith saw what it was and stopped.

_"Red Materia." _She thought as the orb hit the ground and bounced. _"A Summon!" _the orb stopped in the air and lit up the cave walls in a flash of red light. Aerith shielded her eyes, the light blinding. The light grew from red to white, then subsided. Aerith lowered her arm and gasped.

Genesis was gone. The path into the lab to the side, and the cave where Genesis had been, were blocked off. The path both ways, and the walls of the cave, were covered in a crystal coating of light blue ice. Icicles hung from the ceiling, and even the floor beneath was iced over. Aerith tested her footing and moved forward. An icy wind came from behind her, and she stopped to clutch her bare arms in the blast of cold. Before her, a larger icicle grew from the ceiling as the wind whipped around it, encircling it. The icicle shattered, particles of ice raining through the air.

Aerith watched as long, willowy blue arms emerged from the wind, long pink ribbons winding around them and through the fingers. Long legs covered in growths of ice extended down to hover above the ground. Blue hair in a multitude of shades blew out behind the figure's hair as the wind dispersed, revealing a tall female form with light blue skin, purple ribbons along her arms winding over her torso and hips and the ends trailing behind her. Light blue eyes opened, thin blue lips curling into a smile.

"Shiva," Aerith breathed, taking a step back. She had read books about the summons associated with Materia, ancient beings said to have once been servants to the Cetra. The Empress of Ice was one of dozens of summons.

"C_onsider this a worthy foe in lieu of me," _Genesis's voice echoed in her head. Aerith took a step back.

"The law of the summon," she quoted from the book. "A summon yields only to those who prove their might superior to the summon's…" she looked up at Shiva, who was holding still. "So, gotta kick your ass to get you to go away?" she asked. Shiva drew a hand over her shoulder, a blue light forming in her palm. "I'll take that as a yes." Aerith twirled her staff and assumed a fighting stance.

"Bring it on!"


	10. Chapter 10

Mother's Legacy

Chapter 10

* * *

Aerith swung her staff at a diagonal to strike Shiva's neck. Moving with fluid grace, the summon swept to the side to dodge the blow and turned with the movement to bring a leg through the air. The staff was slammed into the ground and Shiva kept coming to land a kick on Aerith's face, sending her stumbling back. Shiva moved as though gliding, sweeping towards her and chopping with an open hand. Aerith knocked her limb aside, but Shiva spun to bring forth another kick. Aerith swung back up to deflect it, and Shiva turned back around and thrust her arm out. A blast of ice flung Aerith back, sliding along the icy ground.

"Okay, getting annoyed," she grunted, standing as Shiva moved to a more relaxed position. Aerith's gauntlet glowed green, and red and orange embers began to gather in her palm. Shiva's eyes darted down, then back up to Aerith's face. "Deflect this!" she snapped, drawing her hand back and thrusting it forward. The Fire spell launched, a small fireball sailing at Shiva's head. The summon flipped through the air, the spell sailed over her as she leaned back and hit the wall, melting a bit of the ice in a puff of smoke.

"Fine," Aerith muttered, twirling her staff. Shiva came at her again, feet and hands moving through the air with inhuman grace and speed. Aerith stumbled back, knocking aside the summon's limbs. A human opponent might have begun to tire, or to be sore from the metal stinging their wrists and ankles, here Aerith had no such advantage. With a cry, Aerith spun, knocking aside Shiva's arm and spinning into a sweep of the summon's legs. As her staff came around, Shiva leapt into the air, flipping around to stand on empty air and leaping off the same to deliver a diving kick to Aerith's chest as she looked up. Her staff flew from her grasp, hitting the wall behind her and falling to the ground. Aerith rolled onto her chest, looked at it, and pushed herself onto her hands and knees. A hand grabbed the back of her uniform, and Aerith was flung backwards, hitting on her back and skidding back until she hit an icy wall.

"_Really_ getting annoyed," she growled, getting to her feet as Shiva almost swam through the air to come towards her. She spun to deliver to kicks to Aerith, the SOLDIER ducked both and lifted her leg to attack. Shiva caught Aerith's leg and flipped her overhead to slam into the ground. Aerith cried out in pain as she hit, and Shiva turned and flung her through the air. Aerith's back hit the wall and she fell forward, small icicles dislodging from the impact. Aerith glared at the summon as it stopped and hovered in the air.

_"Genesis wouldn't let her kill me…he said he needs me…" _she thought. _"I can use that." _Aerith got to her feet and Shiva leapt at her, locking her legs around Aerith's head and spinning her through the air to slam her back into the ground again. Standing over her, Shiva summoned an icy aura over her hand and raised a fist. Aerith flung her hand up, sending a fireball into the summon's face. Shiva recoiled backwards, stunned, and Aerith took the opening to perch her hands on the ground and spin, bringing both legs into Shiva's. Disoriented from the flames, this time the summon was struck and she fell to the ground. Aerith shot another fireball at her face for good measure, then got to her feet and raced across the cave. She reached her staff and grabbed it, assuming a fighting stance. Across the cave Shiva had shaken off the two Fire attacks and was in the air now. Aerith though the summon's previously stoic expression looked angry now. May have just been her imagination but she decided to believe it.

"Come on, I'm just getting warmed up," she taunted, encouraging herself. Shiva came at her again and Aerith ran forward. The summon's chops, punches and kicks blocked Aerith's staff strikes, but she spun the weapon with the deflections to strike again quickly, keeping Shiva defensive. The summon was still pushing her back through, her blows to block Aerith were also attacks and Aerith had to keep stepping back to avoid being struck. She dropped her staff down and snapped it up, and Shiva swept a hand to knock it aside. Her hand opened, a blast of icy wind tore into Aerith's face. Crying out and raising her free hand to shield herself, Aerith was knocked across the cave again by a kick planted on her chest. Shiva's hands glowed, and the summon held her arms out to the side and tilted her head back.

Gusts of wind swept Aerith's hair in front of her as she climbed to her feet. Tendrils of ice sprouted from the ground and wound around Shiva's legs, up to her hips and around her torso. Drawing her arms over her chest, Shiva leaned her head forward andlocked eyes with Aerith. Smirking, Shiva held up a hand and snapped her fingers. The ice surrounding her shattered, particles of ice hanging in the air. Aerith's eyes widened.

_"Shit."_

Shiva flung out her arms, and the Diamond Dust shards flew forward in a blast of cold wind. Aerith turned away and raised an arm to shield her face. The chilling wind nearly knocked her off her feet, razor-sharp shards of ice slicing her arm and tearing her uniform. Her feet slid back on the ice, and Aerith fell to a knee, let out a moan of pain as the attack subsided. Her body stinging from cold and dozens of tiny cuts, spots of red appearing over her arms and a few on her face, she put a hand out on the ice to keep herself out, panting. A shadow came over her and she was pitched to the side as a light blue foot swung into her stomach and kicked her spinning through the air. Landing on her back and skidding, her staff clanging alongside her, Aerith groaned and looked up at the ceiling.

"Whoa," she coughed out, blood running down her arms now. She slowly climbed to her feet, using her hand to catch another kick and then dropping to the ground from a chop to the back of the neck. "You don't nearly fight fair," she accused weakly. Not registering the taunt, Shiva grabbed the back of Aerith's uniform and swung her up against a wall, holding up a glowing blow hand and summoning another gust of icy wind to blast her head. Closing her eyes tightly, Aerith gritted her teeth and tried to endure the summon's attack.

_"Not gonna be beaten…now not," _she thought to herself. Shiva stopped the blow and threw Aerith across the room. Landing on her stomach, Aerith put a hand down to prepare to push herself up, and gasped. Wisps of green energy were coming off her hand and arm. _"Just like…" _Aerith smirked and pushed herself up as Shiva floated towards her, strength surging into her limbs.

"Don't got a staff, so let's improvise," she hissed. Shiva spun to kick her, and Aerith brought up her leg, blocking the blow with an arm and slamming her boot into Shiva's thigh. The summon flinched and Aerith punched her across the face. A knee to the stomach doubled her over, and Aerith spun and kicked Shiva on the top of her head, sending her flying. Flipping into the air Shiva hit the wall, cracking the ice sheet there and remaining floating in the air, stunned. Aerith ran to her dropped staff and picked it up, looking down as the familiar green energy began to flow around the staff. Shiva raised her head as Aerith flipped her staff around behind her, the ends beginning to glow red.

"My turn!" she called out. She spun the staff in her hand, an orb of fire growing at the tip leaving a trail of embers in the air. Shiva raised her hands and fired a large shard of ice. Aerith raised her staff and licked her lips.

"_Crimson Flare!_"

The fireball launched through the air, orange light illuminating the icy blue walls. Shiva's ice and Aerith's fire exploded on contact, and Aerith drew her arm over her shoulder to fire a second orb from the other end of her staff. Flying through the smoke, this one met its target. A second explosion blew Aerith's uniform and hair behind her, the green glow on her hand and staff fading. The pain of Shiva's wounds returned, and Aerith fell to her knees. Looking through the smoke for the summon, it cleared to reveal Shiva laying on the ground, her ribbons singed. With a burst of light she faded, the blue ice covering the cave walls vanishing. An icicle on the ceiling glowed red as it disappeared, and a red Materia piece dropped to the ground from inside it.

"….yay," Aerith panted, allowing herself to collapse forward. Her eyes fell on her staff. "I gotta learn to do that without waiting to be beaten within an inch of my life," she muttered dryly. At least it had happened. Another surge of energy, her wounds were still bad but for a few moments she felt like she had just awoken from sleep and was fully vitalized, and whatever power it was had manifested the same fireball attack as before. She had recognized it at least, but she had mostly let it do what it happened to do and hoped it would respond to her. A step towards learning what it was and mastering it, a small one but it was something, she figured.

_"Aerith! Aerith!" _A crackling voice in her ear broke her thoughts, and she raised a hand to her earpiece.

"I'm here," she mumbled.

_"What happened, we lost your signal for several minutes. Are you alright?" _Errol asked. Aerith winced and put a hand on the ground.

"I'm fine…ish," she replied, slowly getting to her feet. With the energy surge from that strange power wearing off, she was becoming aware of a lot of pain and soreness shooting through her body. She thought she felt blood under her uniform, judging from spots where the top and sleeves were sticking to her skin. "Ran into Genesis. He took off, but he left me a playmate, Shiva. Bitch played rough."

_"He has summons? Are you hurt?"_

"Yeah. I'll be okay for now though," Aerith said, picking up her staff. She collapsed it and clipped it onto her belt. "What's the situation?"

_"Zack is out of the cave, AVALANCHE appears to have withdrawn. Any sign of Genesis?"_

"Nope, and if there was I ain't going after him," Aerith muttered, annoyed. She looked at the summon Materia laying in the cave and picked it up, examining it between her fingers. "I'm in no condition to fight, not unless they're stashing Cure Materia down here."

_"Understandable, summons were an unanticipated foe, that you survived is what matters most. We don't know of AVALANCHE's movements in the cave system, for your own safety evacuate through the Mako Reactor, we'll let the Turk operatives in Kalm know you're coming through and we'll rendezvous with you in the helicopter outside of town."_

"Roger," Aerith said. She slipped the Materia in her pocket and slowly walked back into the cave, limping slightly and holding her side. She reached the lab from before and moved to the other end, stepping onto the catwalk through the hole dug into the side.

_"Aerith?" _Zack's voice came through on the earpiece. _"Heard from Errol you ran into Genesis and a summon. How you holding up?"_

"Barely," Aerith replied, walking down the catwalk to a ladder. "You?"

_ "Ran into some more troops, took care of them, too many to take came and had to split. Was worried when you didn't meet up with me."_

"You're sweet. I can take care of myself. Sorry I wasn't able to save you," Aerith lightly snarked, stopping at the bottom of the ladder. "I got some climbing to do, not gonna be able to respond." She began climbing, ignoring the soreness in her limbs.

_"Right…don't do that again, you hear? I'm not gonna let you get yourself killed for being a glory chaser, not as long as we're partners at least. You wanna try stupid stuff, save it for back home with the simulators."_

"Eat me," Aerith said to herself, aware he couldn't hear. Still, she smiled.

* * *

"You're fortunate most of these cuts are small, they'll heal within a day." Shinra's medical officer round gauze around Aerith's right arm, her left already covered. Two more cuts on her face were bandaged, and her torso had been wrapped up from waist to collarbone. "I cleaned and sterilized them, shouldn't take much for them to heal. The morning after next, you'll be good as new."

"Great," Aerith sighed. "My first assignment and I get myself sliced up like fruit."

"Actually you got off light. Diamond Dust can cause severe lacerations on unprotected skin, in extreme cases even nerve damage. And if you hadn't covered your face you may have even lost an eye, it's happened before," the officer replied. "The highest objective for all SOLDIER operatives is self-preservation, as long as you survive the near-death battles we'll cut you slack. Considering you came home with only bruises and cuts, no matter how terrible or numerous, it's quite a relief. Be thankful, some fateful entity out there wants you alive."

"Whatever," Aerith shrugged, not having anything to argue her point with. It had been a hard fight, but she had lived through it. She didn't know how commonly summons were encountered, but she knew they were serious business.

"Alright, that should do you fine. You can remove the bandages in two days as I said, but you'll probably be sore for a bit longer. Take it easy."

"No can do, once these are off I'm back out there," Aerith shook her head and stood from the chair.

"No you aren't, I promise," the officer warned. "Now that you've been patched up you're to be debriefed by Director Lazard, and he's going to tell you you're staying at base for at least four days to recover."

"What!?" Aerith protested.

"Summons can kill even the most hardened SOLDIER members, you can't expect to fight them regularly and just walk away. Lazard knows this and is going to make sure you're back to full health before sending you out after that encounter. You're not the first it's been done to, but it's for your own good."

"And this being my first assignment since earning my freedom, they won't hold it against me?"

"Not my place to judge but I wouldn't think so. Summons aren't often come against so we weren't prepared for them and thus couldn't prepare you."

"Mm," Aerith said, not sure what else to say. She hated being injured, hated failure. She wanted glory for her first assignment, and she got her ass kicked instead.

"Here." The medical officer opened a locker against the wall and pulled out a spare red Second top on a hanger. "This looks about your size."

"Thanks," Aerith took the hanger and slipped the collar off the edges. She looked in the locker as the medical officer closed it, seeing five colors of uniform. She recognized them as the other colors of SOLDIER, teal, blue, red, purple, and black. Zack's arbitrary comment about the uniform change last week came back to her,

"How come there are two different types of uniforms?" Aerith asked, pulling the top on over her bandages.

"It's to differentiate first or second generation at a glance. About a year ago Shinra lowered the qualifications to join SOLDIER. Blues to purple to black are the ones recruited before that, teal to red, after. Doesn't matter much in practice, but overall first generation SOLDIERs have greater skills than the second generations."

"So what do the gen twos get when they make First?" Aerith asked, remembering Zack's joke about the two of them matching.

"…now that you ask, it's never come up," the medical offer said, raising her eyebrows slightly. "We haven't had a second generation recruit make First yet, plenty in Second, none in First. I suppose the second generation just doesn't measure up to the first…no offense."

"None taken," Aerith shrugged. "I'm going to make them think about it."

"If anyone could, it's you," the officer agreed. "You're fine to leave, head to Lazard's office for your debriefing. And remember to take it easy, no strenuous activity for at least two days. That includes the simulator and the gym."

"Yeah yeah," Aerith muttered, opening the door to the 67th floor. She hadn't been here until today, there had been no need. It turned out the floor directly below Hojo's lab was medical and secondary science facilities. To her relief, Hojo hadn't been around while she was being patched up. She walked by five more sets of doors each leading to another recovery room and headed down the hall. The path in front of the elevators forked left to the medical offices and right to science, and Zack was leaning against the wall waiting.

"Hey. You feel okay?" he asked, standing up as she approached.

"No," Aerith grumbled. "Got my ass handed to me by an ice princess and am back to sitting around doing nothing until I recover. _Less_ than nothing really, can't even use the simulator."

"Ouch," Zack winced. "Tough luck. Look on the bright side, you're alive."

"That's the bright side?" Aerith snorted as she swiped her ID for the elevator.

"Coming out of a summon fight? Yeah," Zack nodded. The elevator doors slid open, and the two friends boarded.

"I've got to see Lazard for debriefing," Aerith said, hitting the button for 51.

"Just got back from there, all in all he considers the mission a success, mostly. Our objective was to find out what happened to Genesis, right?" Zack said.

"Yeah, but I doubt they wanted to find out he was a traitor. Think the death notice is going to stick now?"

"Publicly, probably. In SOLDIER, nah. War is on now and Genesis is on the frontlines." The elevator opened on the 51st floor, and Aerith climbed off.

"Have fun. I'll be on 61 having a snack when you're done," Zack waved. Aerith nodded and headed down the hall. She turned into the large room with the central pillar and rounded it to see Lazard sitting back in his chair, hands folded over his face. As Aerith came into his view he sat forward.

"Thank you Aerith, have a seat," he offered. Aerith sat down as Lazard pulled his chair closer to his desk. "Zack and Errol have explained that Genesis was found in the company of AVALANCHE forces and used a summon Materia against you. As you were the one to experience these events directly, please give your side of events."

"Yes, director," Aerith nodded. She was becoming more comfortable in these sorts of environments, she thought. "After Zack and I split up in the cave, I came across what seemed a small laboratory in the cave. There were several large metal tanks containing human subjects submersed in a thick blueish-green liquid I couldn't identity."

"A moment," Lazard said, holding a drawer on his desk and pulling out a file folder. He flipped it open and took out a photograph. "Like this?" he held the picture out to Aerith, who leaned forward to see. The picture was off several large glass tubes along a wall, bubbling with the same liquid.

"Yes. What is it?" she asked.

"Mako." Lazard said grimly, putting the picture away.

"I thought Mako was used to generate electricity?" Aerith asked, confused.

"That is its most widespread use. But over longterm exposure, human subjects have been known to develop increased physical prowess. It's highly dangerous though, overexposure can lead to a host of health and psychological problems."

"The men I saw in the capsules were entire submerged," Aerith thought aloud. "That's what Genesis meant…"

"Pardon?" Lazard asked. Aerith lifted her head.

"Genesis said they were experimental new troops AVALANCHE was creating called 'Ravens'. I was thinking that the Mako enhancements must be what he meant."

"And you two overheard reports that implied a Shinra scientist working with the group, correct?"

"Yes."

"That makes sense, a Shinra scientist would have the know-how to control the Mako exposure properly," Lazard nodded. "And that of course would explain why they tapped into the Kalm reactor, to get the Mako and electricity needed for the experiments. We'll have to alert our reactor staffings across the planet to be on the lookout for such parasitic theft on their reactors."

"There's no way to get access to Mako without a reactor, right?" Aerith asked.

"I want to say no. But it depends on what type of research they have access to through the traitors in Shinra. They may know the secrets to the refinement process, it's hard to say. In the meantime, Genesis used a summon Materia?"

"Yes, Shiva." Aerith reached into her pocket and pulled out the red summon Materia. "Here."

"Your first assignment pitted you against a summon. And you survived." Lazard smiled, taking the red orb from her. "Impressive." Aerith swelled slightly.

"Thank you, sir. She roughed me up quite a bit though."

"Yes, I understand your uniform was all but ruined. You'll be taking five days off to recover, not a punishment, but we want you fully healed when we send you out next. Do not take this as confinement again, however. We just ask you rest and focus on healing."

"Yes, sir," Aerith said. "But…it's pain, to be restricted again on my first mission."

"We never expected them to have access to summons, the information you have provided will be valuable in future skirmishes with AVALANCHE. Do not consider this a failure, Aerith, you did your duties as well as could be expected," Lazard lectured. "Anything else?" Aerith thought back to her surge of strength and the return of that 'Crimson Flare' attack that had turned the tables on Shiva.

"Sir, are normal humans able to use magic without Materia?" Aerith asked.

"Why do you ask?" Lazard replied.

"Just curious."

"No. Humans do not have the spiritual bond to the Lifestream needed to manifest magic without Materia as a focus. It's theorized however that significantly high exposure to Mako energy would allow innate magical skills."

"Has it ever been tried?" Aerith asked. Lazard shifted in his seat, and Aerith noted he seemed to be uncomfortable with the question.

"…Yes, many years ago, when Mako was first being explored for its potential uses. And universally all tests were failures. No subject had the endurance needed to survive that level of exposure without suffering mental and physical degradation to the point of insanity or enfeeblement."

"But they could use magic?" Aerith pressed.

"I don't know. The experiments were long before my time, Aerith, before Shinra even began styling itself as a power company. Again, why do you ask?"

"Just curious, sir," Aerith said, backing away. For whatever reason she had put Lazard on edge, and she didn't want to strain her relationship with the director. Though, if Mako was indeed the source of that power she was beginning to learn, no wonder he was hesitant to discuss it with her. No one had ever told her about this sort of ability with other SOLDIER members, so it must have been something with her specifically. "It just seems that if humans could use magic without Materia, it would be a path of study worth exploring."

"Indeed it would, but it was explored and that exploration proved fruitless," Lazard nodded. "I have other matters to attend to, if you don't mind, so if you please."

"Yes sir, thank you," Aerith nodded back and stood, turning and walking to the elevator. Lazard watched her go and his eyes darted down at the phone as Aerith left his field of vision.

_"….no,"_ he decided._ "It was curiosity, nothing more."_

* * *

Aerith approached the elevator, swiped her ID, and the doors slid open. To her surprise, Sepiroth was standing there. She moved aside to let him off.

"Get in," he said sternly. Aerith looked at him, confused, and stepped inside.

"I'm meeting Zack on 61," she said. Sephiroth pressed the button for the 60th floor, and Aerith rolled her eyes. The elevator jerked up and opened on a wide-open floor with plants and statues. Sephiroth marched into the center of the floor, Aerith behind him. Two walled off areas lay on opposite sides. Sephiroth clapped his hands sharply, the sound echoing. There was a cough and a rustling, and the two turned to the right. From behind one of the walls came a secretary adjusting her clothing. Behind her, an executive carrying his suit jacket and his shirt untucked. Aerith snickered.

"S-Sephiroth!" the two exclaimed.

"Leave," he ordered sternly. The two nodded and hurried to the elevator, Sephiroth turning his head to watch it close.

"So, _that_ grateful I'm alive huh?" Aerith cracked. "You bring girls here often?"

"A little known or cared-about fact," Sephiroth said, turning fully around. "This is the sole floor in the entire building with no security cameras. Mostly it was due to oversight, this floor is used for speeches and press conferences and so there are always security personnel here when it's being used. When not in use, it sees a variety of activity from employees in need of a discreet location and no one much cares enough to put cameras in – and those that do care ask this room remain unmonitored."

"So you brought me here for some hanky-panky off-camera?" Aerith asked dryly.

"I brought you here because you are going to tell me what happened with Genesis," Sephiroth said sternly, narrowing his eyes.

"What makes you think something happened?" Aerith shrugged. She remembered Lazard's warnings about confidentiality, she wasn't about to screw up another aspect of her first assignment.

"Zack said you two were sent on assignment outside of Kalm. I am not a fool, Shinra sent the two of you to look for Genesis and didn't trust me. So, speak. What did you find?" Aerith looked around the empty floor.

"Lazard will have my head if he finds out I told you anything, it's classified. He specifically said to not even tell you," she warned.

"I'll handle Lazard," Sephiroth said. Aerith rolled her eyes and let out a huff, thinking.

"…he's alive," she said finally. Sephiroth's face lit up.

"And? Was he being held captive?"

"No. He's with them willingly," Aerith corrected. Sephiroth narrowed his eyes again.

"You lie."

"Sorry."

"Genesis would not betray us."

"Well he did."

"Enough!" Sephiroth snarled, grabbing Aerith's collar and hauling her up to eye level. "Do not lie to me!" Aerith's eyes were wide, her feet dangling above the floor.

"So you _can_ emote. Cool," she joked weakly. In reality she was terrified, she had never seen Sephiroth this emotional, and anger – directed at her for perceived lies – was not the emotion she would have chosen to see him in such a state. He wouldn't strike her, would he? Even with total privacy, he liked her enough to not hurt her, right? Sephiroth growled and dropped her, Aerith falling to the ground as he walked away, arms crossed.

"You must be mistaken," he said in his normal tone of voice again. "Genesis would not turn on the company."

"Well he did, he talked to me, mocked me, rambled about nonsense, then chucked a summon Materia at me and left me to fight for my life against an ice bitch," Aerith insisted.

"Why?" Sephiroth asked, turning. "Why would he aid AVALANCHE?"

"I don't know. I asked, he said something about heroism and quoted LOVELESS at me. You know, the usual."

"…before our last mission, Genesis was talking about LOVELESS a lot," Sephiroth thought aloud. He noticed the expression on Aerith's face and amended, "more than usual."

"I don't get it, it's just a poem, why go traitor over it?" she muttered.

"Genesis played games portraying myself, Angeal and him as the three protagonists of LOVELESS. Each time we performed a simulator together for fun, he would try to get us to agree to each of us acting in accordance with one of the characters."

"Sounds dumb."

"Occasionally he suggested we invite you to join as the woman of the poem."

"I'm sane, leave me out of it."

"I remember…it was a month before the mission," Sephiroth thought aloud, looking away. "Genesis went to the library, he came down with an entire cart of books and papers. He shut himself in his room for an entire week. He refused entry to even Angeal and me, he only ate when we brought him food and he opened his door only long enough to take what was being offered. An entire week he spent locked up with who-knows-what manner of writings. When he finally emerged…there was a new light in his eyes. His LOVELESS rantings had taken on a different sort of tone. He seemed almost euphoric…I was happy for him…" Sephiroth clenched a fist.

"I wrote it off at the time as such sort of spark of inspiration for a new book of some sort…if I had known at the time that whatever he had filled his head with was going to lead him to this…"

"What happened to what he had been reading?" Aerith asked.

"They've long been taken back to the library. I've been there. There's only a handful of books on LOVELESS. Whatever he was reading, I don't think it was about the poem. I requested permission to view what specific materials he withdrew, but was denied." Sephiroth gave Aerith a pointed look. "And I am not denied much in this company."

"Leave it to Genesis to be confusing as hell even when he's not around," Aerith rolled her eyes. Inwardly however she was trying to figure out what Genesis had been talking about back in the caves. She only vaguely remembered it though, something about AVALANCHE being a sign maybe? If she was going to suddenly care about his obsession she was going to have to start listening to him when they crossed paths in the future. Assuming they would, of course. Something told Aerith she specifically had not seen the last of Genesis, not by far.

"Anything else?" Sephiroth asked. Aerith thought.

"He looked well, at least. He wasn't injured, wasn't talking or acting like he was a prisoner. Just talking like his good old psycho self."

"I see," Sephiroth looked away in thought. "Thank you. None shall know of what you have told me, and if they find out somehow, I will take the blame."

"What about Angeal?" Aerith asked.

"I will tell him what you have told me. You do not need to shoulder any more burden for this matter."

"Right," Aerith nodded. Sephiroth turned and walked towards the elevator. On instinct Aerith's hand fell to her waist and grabbed her staff, but she stopped as she unclipped it.

"Well?" Sephiroth asked, stopping.

"…I don't want to," Aerith replied, clipping her staff back on her waist, "and I'm hurt. Don't feel like it." Sephiroth didn't turn. "And I'm tired of failing anyway," Aerith finished, lowering her hand.

"You still want to be a First, don't you?" Sephiroth asked.

"Of course!" Aerith said fiercely. She thought back to the fight with Shiva once again. If she could harness that power, learn to use Crimson Flare freely, maybe she could catch him off-guard one day. A dirty trick, but if it worked, it would be a victory for her nonetheless. She had seen Sephiroth in battle, his strength and speed were unparalleled. But he didn't have the type of power she was developing, not that she'd ever seen at least. That was an edge she finally had on him.

"Then how do you intend to handle repeated failures on your assignments, for they are certain to happen?"

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Aerith snapped. "Fine then." She grabbed her staff, pressed the button to extend it, and attacked. Sephiroth side stepped her blows easily, then as she swung a fourth time grabbed her arm and pulled her forward, his other hand catching her throat as she hit his chest. She looked up at him angrily.

"The next time you speak to me of Genesis, at least feign respect for him. He is my friend and your comrade," Sephiroth said coldly.

"I'm not afraid of you," Aerith lied. "I've been getting stronger. I've got new skills you don't know about yet. I can take you."

"Can you?" Sephiroth replied. "Then allow me to go to my room to retrieve my weapon, and safe from prying eyes we shall test your hypothesis." Aerith couldn't stop her eyes from widening slightly as Sephiroth seemed to call her bluff. He wouldn't really, would he?

"Fine then, go get it," she sneered, trying to be brave. Sephiroth snorted and pushed her back, Aerith stumbling to stay standing.

"Reckless and impulsive…maybe Lazard was right about us," he said quietly, turning around again. Aerith mentally debated striking again, but decided not to as Sephiroth reached the elevator and pressed the button. The doors opened and he walked inside, the doors sliding closed without him turning. Alone on the floor, Aerith dropped to her knees, her staff clanging to the ground beside her.

_"He just wanted to know what happened to his friend..."_

"I'm a bitch," she muttered bitterly.


End file.
